Accolade adds Pinotage to Kumala range

By Mathew Lyons

Published: 19 September, 2019

Accolade Wines is to launch a Pinotage varietal under its South African wine brand Kumala later this month.

The Pinotage will join the existing Malbec, Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc varietals in the range.

Kumala carries an RRP of £8 and is positioned as a trade-up option for consumers. The brand has experienced year-on-year volume growth of 56.2% according to data from Nielsen for the year to 10 August 2019.

The launch represents a further investment in South African wines for Accolade, following its £1m 'Keep it Kolourful' campaign last year.

David White, marketing director at Accolade Wines, said: “Pinotage is South Africa’s indigenous grape varietal and our research has shown that there’s a real thirst for it with 49% of British wine drinkers open to trying it and wanting to know more about the varietal.

“As the No 1 South African wine brand, Kumala offers consumers a greater level of security and the confidence to move between different wine styles.

"It has been a challenging time for the South African wine industry but Kumala is outperforming the market and we are investing in the UK’s leading brand to continue to bring South African wines and new varietals such as Pinotage to the table.”

The South African wine trade has been struggling in recent years, with declining harvests leading to a drop in export volumes of 6% in 2018.

The UK remains South Africa’s principal export market, with exports up 5% in value last year.

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