Credit where credit's due

Published: 16 October, 2008

It would be hard to find a business sector that is more resilient than the drinks industry. No matter what is thrown at it, the trade simply brushes itself down, and gets on with the business of buying and selling drinks.

It is going to need all its strength and resilience over the coming months as the Government digests the responses sent in this week to its latest consultation on what it should be doing to interfere with what the industry is doing.

We can leave those repercussions to another day, but it's also important we take time out to give ourselves the credit for being able to cope with all the external pressures and yet come out fighting on the other side.

2008 was set to go down in the annals as one of the most challenging the sector has ever faced long before the financial world collapsed.

But just take a look around you at how well the industry is coping, adapting and ensuring it not only survives the current economic crisis, but comes out of it better than when it went in.

We may bemoan the fact the average price point for a bottle of wine sold in the UK lies around the £4 mark, but how many countries in the world can boast the depth and variety of wines on sale at that price that can deliver such value and quality for money?

OK margins are being squeezed left, right and centre, but that does not get away from the fact producers, importers, agents and retailers are all working together to produce wines of unbeatable quality at incredible price points.

In this issue we turn our focus on South Africa and this cross-industry support and teamwork is no more prevalent than down in the Cape. Yes, it would like to sell more wine above £4, but the fact it has been able to adapt its wines to meet the demands of its customers demonstrates the level of skill and expertise there is in producing wine consistently at this level.

The ones who are succeeding with entry point wines all have their eyes and ears open to what people want to drink and what customers want to sell. It is a skill we could all learn from in these increasingly difficult days.

Richard Siddle is the editor of Harpers magazine.