WOSA WORLD

Boston Wine Expo 16 - 17 February 2013:

26 February 2013

The WOSA Pavilion was very popular at the Boston Food and Wine Expo that took place on 16 - 17 February 2013, a weekend after Nemo hit the East Coast.  Luckily the icy weather and mountains of snow next to the roads, did not hinder 6 000 consumers and 2 000 people from the wine trade and press, in the Massachusetts region to attend this highly acclaimed wine expo.  The expo has built up a great reputation over the past two decades and they have even expanded their food and wine activities into a week long festival.  At the show itself, grand tastings, and seminars were presented - one of them focusing on South African Chenin Blanc, by Cape Classics` Cheninista team, lead by Molly Choi, Senior Vice President of Sales.

Boston, Massachusetts is the largest and most cosmopolitan city in the northeastern USA after New York City, with an impressive population of sophisticated wine and culinary aficionados, restaurants, top-notch universities, industry, arts, and business. It`s an ideal wine market to work in, reaching communities that fall outside, but not too far from, the orbit of New York city`s wine world.

In spite of all the extra attention the WOSA pavilion received due to the shocking news of Oscar Pistorius` trial, the feedback on the 12 exhibitors` wines was outstanding.  It is clear that there is no lack of interest in South African wines at the moment, highlighting the need to promoting where to find the wines, and encouraging distributors and their teams to focus on the category.  WOSA/USA generously subsidised each table at the show and we hope that more producers or importers will attend next year.  We feel it is really worth your while as not only the feedback from so many wine loving consumers is priceless, but it is a wonderful platform to network with the local trade and press.  From the moment the doors opened, the exhibitors were busy and towards the middle of the day, rows of four deep were standing at each table.  

This coming weekend, there will be an equally large presence of South African wine producers and importers as part of the WOSA Pavilion at the New York International Wine & Food Festival, 1 - 3 March.  For more information on these shows, please go to:  www.wineexpobostom.com andwww.newyorkwineexpo.com

Annette Badenhorst