SAA Awards dominated by DGB

BRAND ACTIVITY

Dec 9th, 09:50

South African Airways has presented DGB with the SAA Chief Executive’s Award for Best Performance in 2014 and the SAA Chairperson’s Wine Award for most cases purchased, at the 29th annual SAA Wine Awards. The national carrier will serve seven DGB wines on its domestic, regional and international flights, as well as in its business class lounges in 2014.

Prestigious and well loved brands which are part of the DGB family include Bellingham, Boschendal, Brampton, Douglas Green, Franschhoek Cellar, Ribshack and The Beachhouse.

The DGB wines to be served in Premium Class are Bellingham’s The Bernard Series Chenin Blanc 2012 and The Bernard Series Pinotage 2011, as well as the Boschendal 1685 Chardonnay 2012 and the Boschendal 1685 Merlot 2012. While the Franschhoek Cellar Merlot 2013, Douglas Green Sauvignon Blanc 2013 and Douglas Green Chardonnay 2013 will be served in Economy Class.

The annual wine competition attracted over 1 000 entries, which were assessed blind by an international panel of expert judges. “The SAA Award is a prestigious honour and we are especially delighted that limited edition wines like our Bernard Series will be introduced to wine lovers traveling on our national carrier,” said Tim Hutchinson, CEO of DGB.

“The award caps an incredible year in which Boschendal Wines was named number 1 premium South African brand in the UK market and The Beachhouse Sauvignon Blanc became the largest selling South African wine in the USA.”

Not content with the Nielsen studies confirming the success on both sides of the Atlantic, DGB has also set its sights on Asia.

"We have identified Hong Kong as our gateway to the Asian wine drinking market,” said Hutchinson. “We have done the research, made the contacts and appointed talented and experienced staff in both Beijing and Hong Kong to assist with this push into China and the rest of Far East."

Notable accolades for DGB wines in 2013 include the Boschendal Grande Cuvée Brut 2009 being named South Africa’s best at the prestigious Amorim Tsogo Sun Cap Classique Challenge 2013, while the 2007 vintage was awarded Gold and named among the Top 10 at Effervescents du Monde 2013 – the annual competition in Burgundy, France to find the Best Sparkling Wines in the World.

DGB wines also excelled at Veritas 2013 with Double Gold medals for the Brampton Sauvignon 2013 and the Boschendal Unwooded Chardonnay 2013. While the Franschhoek Statue de Femme Sauvignon Blanc 2013 excelled at the FNB Top 10 Sauvignon Blanc Competition, with the 2012 vintage awarded Gold at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and named Best SA wine at the Japan Wine Challenge.

These awards and sales figures are reasons to celebrate an extremely successful 2013, but Hutchinson is equally proud of DGB’s ongoing green initiatives which have seen the company shining at the Drinks Business International Awards. Their extensive project aimed at reducing the weight of glass bottles sees DGB lightweight 10 million bottles per year for a 30% reduction in carbon emissions - a saving of 120kg of carbon for every 1 000 bottles.

While their Bamboo Project, which won the Ethical Award category at the 2012 Drinks Business Green Awards, not only off-sets carbon emissions but also creates an effective source of renewable energy and job opportunities for previously disadvantaged communities.

DGB also has a new world class electronic bottling line in Wellington – able to fill, label and top with a cork or screw-top, 8 000 bottles an hour. “This new bottling facility gives us probably the most modern production facility in the Cape wine industry, and we look forward to doubling our volumes in the next 4-5 years,” said Hutchinson.Click here for more information on DGB South Africa