Support an exciting new wine collab with the #SaveSAWine campaign

There was a proliferation of teapots on restaurant tables like never seen before, cooldrink glasses filled with “Appletiser” and creative, well-thought out smuggle operations. Alcohol bans really pulled a number on South Africans.

However, more than the consumers, it meant disaster for the alcohol industry and our local wines producers in particular.

According to data released by the alcohol industry in February 2021, an estimated R36.3bn in sales revenue and R51.9bn GDP was lost due to alcohol bans since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the wine industry, the alcohol bans resulted in significant job losses. In 2021 VinPro estimated that more than 80 wineries and 350 wine growers would go out of business as a result of lockdown measures taken by government.

To do its bit, Pick n Pay set out to sell 25-million bottles of wine during 2021 — a target, they believe, would have been met were it not for further alcohol bans and disruptions caused by the July riots and looting.

They did, however, manage to sell  20-million bottles of wine and shifted their focus to selling the 25-million bottles this year.

Part of this initiative involves events hosted through its wine club and exciting range collaborations. The most recent is three wines under their The Masterpiece range.

Produced exclusively for Pick n Pay by Bellingham Wines, it consists of three distinctly different wines: the crisp and light The Masterpiece 2021 Sauvignon Blanc (R100); a woody, full-bodied The Masterpiece Chardonnay 2020 (R120); and a balanced and well-rounded The Masterpiece 2018 Red Blend (R150).

In a twist of what consumers can usually expect from a Bellingham wine label, the images for the labels were created in partnership with two local artists, with the sauvignon blanc bearing the work of painter and sculptor Thami Jali and the chardonnay and red blend the work of visual artist Keneilwe Mokoena.

“These visuals on The Masterpiece wine labels also represent the fabric of SA’s national soul, a soul that has been touched by the Covid-19 crisis and one where creative endeavours like art and winemaking help to sustain and lift the human spirit,” said Tim Hutchinson, executive chairman at DGB, the SA wine producer that owns Bellingham Wines.

“Our idea behind these three wines is to celebrate the vibrance of local creativity as a part of the #SaveSAWine campaign and see the labels as representing the life-affirming and valiant South African soul.”

This is the third wine collaboration between Pick n Pay and local wine estates. The Jacques Steytler collaboration of six wines was launched in May 2021 and the Jacques Mouton range of three wines in December 2019.

As for doing your bit? Buy and drink local wines. It’s that simple.

The Pick n Pay-Bellingham Wines The Masterpiece range is available in more than 200 stores nationwide and online.