Vinexpo Daily - Review Edition

DGB Pty Ltd, South Africa’s largest
independent wine, spirits and
craft beer producer, announced
at Vinexpo that it has secured an
exclusive distribution agreement with
China’s massive COFCO group.
COFCO (China Cereals, Oils and
Foodstuffs Co-operation) is China’s
largest importer and exporter in
these fields. The agreement will see
COFCO now operate as the South
African producer’s sales, marketing
and distribution partner with very
ambitious marketing and growth
plans.
Following the agreement, COFCO
will, in the initial phase, exclusively
import and market DGB brands
Boschendal and Tall Horse, with
the expectation to later expand the
portfolio with other brands from the
DGB wine stable.
China has become an increasingly
important market for South African
wineries:
China’s wine import market totaled
638 million litres in 2016 – a
year-an-year increase of 15%,
according to the Asian giant’s
customs department – while import
values grew by 16,3% year-on-year,
amounting to $2,364-billion. Wine
sales in China are predicted to grow
by 39,8% over the next three years,
leading the country to become the
world’s second largest wine market
after the United States – surpassing
France and the UK. South Africa
has seen its market share improving,
as interest in wine in China starts
to extend beyond “traditional” Old
BY-THE-GLASS
INNOVATION
World wine producing countries.
Mainland China is currently the
biggest Asian market for South
African wine by volume and the
sixth largest export destination for
the country.
Says Castle Li, General Manager of
COFCO Wine & Wine: “We are
proud to be associated with the wellrespected
South African industryleader,
DGB. Chinese consumers
are showing increased interest in
‘New World’ wines, and we believe
DGB, with its diverse portfolio, is
well-positioned to provide in this
need. The Boschendal and Tall
Horse brands offer two of the great
market drivers: value and reputable
quality” •
Premium South African Producer
Signs Distribution Agreement with
China’s Largest Importer
At this year’s Vinexpo, Digby presented its by-theglass
wine dispenser on the stand of La Wine
Tech, “The world-wide coordination of wine
start-up”.
The stand regrouped start-ups from all around
the world - building the first international
coordination of fledgling companies around
wine and digital technologies.
Some of them were focused on B2C, while
others like Digby were mainly B2B, as the
company’s innovative dispenser is perfectly
suited for restaurants, hotels, wine merchants,
and even supermarkets.
Digby demonstrated a 2-module dispenser
for a total of 4 bottles of wine. Indeed, all the
dispensers are made of several modules that
receive 2 bottles each in which one can set
the serving temperature independently, while
preserving all the qualities of the wine for several
weeks.
The dispenser can take up to 6 modules and
control up to 12 bottles of wine and serving
volume can be set by the centilitre. Digby is also
a connected device. The owner can control the
temperatures, prices and wine details displayed
on the screen via a web interface.
Digby reports that the Castel group has chosen
its wine dispensers to highlight their most
prestigious products and offer the best way for
their clients to taste them •
The commitment of Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits is to offer consumers
brands they can trust, full of flavours, boldness and experiences.
VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW EDITION / FRIDAY 30 TH JUNE 9