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MICHAEL FRIDJHON: Building a brand requires tenacity and perseverance
There is something to be said for persistence when it comes to building a wine brand. When Paul Cluver senior established his Elgin vineyards almost three decades ago, SA was cabernet country and Stellenbosch was the only appellation that commanded a real price premium. The very idea of cooler climate wines, delicate whites like riesling, and pale-coloured reds like pinot noir, was anathema to the punters of the past. If his primary business had not been apples, and if he hadn’t been passionate about wine, he could not have justified turning the first clod to plant the first vine. Getting a new wine region on to the map is not simply a matter of establishing the vineyards, waiting for them to reach fruit-bearing age, setting up a winery, making some wine and launching it to great fanfare. It’s a long slow business to build a brand and it requires at least twice the effort and takes twice as long if you are developing a brand and an appellation at the same time.You need other produce...
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