Eish, but this brandy is lekker!

Vino-tourism route will leave you light-headed

- Jim Freeman

Love it or loathe it, call it “nectar of the gods” or “kung fu juice”, there is little dispute that brandy is South Africa’s favourite premium alcoholic beverage.

From humble beginnings on a Dutch ship in Table Bay in 1672, when the assistant cook distilled Cape wine into 130l of brandewijn (burnt wine), South Africa has become one of the world's leading brandy producers, with a current annual output of around 20 million litres. Industry-watchers say this is half what it was at the turn of the century, adding that the most pain has been felt in the blended brandy market segment.

At the same time, brandy imports (mostly those popularly called “cognacs”) have steadily increased from 1.6 million litres in 1998, to 9.1 million in 2024, according to statistics released by SA Wine Industry and Systems (Sawis).

The South African Brandy Foundation, launched “to champion quality, support producers and elevate the status of Potstill Brandy worldwide”, says lower production and consumption volumes are partly offset by the rise of artisanal elegance.

While brandy and Coke's popularity is waning, local drinkers are developing more sophisticated tastes... and they don't have to buy French to get the best.