Cape Legends looks to be South Africa's largest fine wine player

By Richard Siddle

Published: 11 September, 2013

Cape Legends, the South African premium wine brand division of Distell, is looking to do what it claims is "something different" in promoting wines from the country.

Ross Sleet, Cape Legends marketing director, said its parent company, Distell took what he called a "brave move" last October in handing responsibility for the sales and marketing of its most premium wines over to Cape Legends.

But in so doing it now means Cape Legends has, added Sleet, arguably the finest and most diverse range of premium wines available from South Africa. Cape Legends is now in the process, he said, of looking to establish itself as a global player in fine wine as "South Africa's largest fine wine company".

The Cape Legends premium wine portfolio now consists of 20 wines including acclaimed wine producers ranging from Durbanville Hills, Fleur de Cap, Plaisir de Merle, Monis, Stellenzicht, Neethlingshof, Le Bonheur, Jacobsdal, Lomond, Pongracz and Zonnebloem.

Sleet said the company was centred around building and promoting all its wines under six key strategic pillars: heritage; innovation; passion; people; respect and responsibility.

He said Cape Legends was particularly proud of its heritage and the fact it can still make wine based on the winemaking principles from South Africa's earliest days of wine production. Some of its brands still carry labels with virtually the same design from a 100 years ago. He said it had a "back catalogue" second to none. "We are able to bring depth and breadth of wines in to the fine wine space," he said.

"We are very ambitious and we have a big mother ship behind us."

* You can taste Cape Legends range of premium wines at the Beautiful South tasting on September 11 and 12 taking place in London Olympia. For a full preview go here.

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