International markets are no strangers to Seven Sisters Wines. In fact the story of the seven Brutus sisters owning a winery and having a bottle of the wine selection dedicated to each sibling is popular in the US.
Who would not be fascinated by the story of seven sisters from a disadvantaged background in the small fishing town of Paternoster in the Western Cape who chose to venture into winemaking.
With each wine being dedicated to a sister, the Seven Sisters wine selection, (from youngest (sibling) to oldest), consists of a Bukettraube – Odelia Breedekamp, Pinotage-Rose – Twena Saul, Chenin Blanc – Yolanda Stevens, Sauvignon Blanc – Vivian Kleynhans, Pinotage/Shiraz – Dawn Petersen, Merlot – June Saunderson, and Cabernet –Carol Van Wyk.
The sisters started the company in 2003, with investigations and research being done into the industry and market, but it was only registered in 2005. It was at this time that Seven Sisters Wines became one of 11 BEE wineries in South Africa – a white-dominated industry that is 350 years old!
One of the Brutus sisters and CEO of Seven Sisters Wines, Vivian Kleynhans, explains why they have had more success internationally than in the local market.
“We haven’t been selling our wines locally because we could never find a local market. Firstly, I think because of wine saturation in South Africa and secondly because we’re a new brand, and as such, were unknowns in the local wine industry for a long time.”
That’s where platforms like the Soweto Wine and Lifestyle Festival, now in its 10th year, come in. Kleynhans recalls how the very first Soweto Wine Festival in 2005 paved the way to her meeting their wines’ very first importer, Selena Cuffe, president and CEO of Heritage Link Brand, a company that connects US palates with wines produced in South Africa.
The seven Brutus sisters (picture supplied)
Upon hearing the story of Seven Sisters Wine, Cuffe was convinced the US market would be invested in buying wine based on the unique tale the winery had to tell.
Together with Cuffe, they took to the streets in the US, selling the wine to various industries, whole food and super food stores and Disney World.
Kleynhans says the reception was phenomenal!
“It went very well, people were very receptive to the brand, and the story. Americans are conscious buyers, they want to know if they are putting their money towards a good cause and that they are supporting people who were previously disadvantaged.”
In the international market Wallmart’s sister company Sam’s Club, has been stocking Seven Sisters wines on their shelves since 2007. Kleynhans says the business has many loyal supporters in America, and their first consignment was shipped in April 2007. Since then Seven Sisters Wines have been listed in 42 American states.
Although at first Seven Sisters Wines had no choice but to reach out to the international market for the survival of their winery, an opportunity to penetrate the South African market soon presented itself.
“We received a visit from the Walmart sourcing director in around 2011. The business they were doing in South Africa with Massmart led to us joining the Makro shops and our wines being on their shelves,” explains Kleynhans.
The challenges
The small winery has faced its share of obstacles. “It was difficult and it’s still difficult,” she says. “But the vision that we have is that one day we will become a household name and reach out to all women, encouraging them not only to drink our wines, but to encourage them to stand up for themselves and to live their dreams. That vision keeps us going.”
While the Western Cape’s wine routes like Stellenbosch and Franschhoek boast of established wine farms, the majority of BEE wineries do not have farms, cellars or vineyards to call their own. BEE wineries source their wine from established white wineries by prescribing the flavour they want in their wines. These are then mixed and stored in cellars for them until they are ready to be bottled and sold to the market.
“We were thinking we need to cover ourselves in the whole value chain of the wine industry because we can’t rely on other wineries forever.”