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	<title>Design News &#187; Vinimark</title>
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		<title>In 2025, Vinimark’s International team explored fresh frontiers for South African wine while adapting to shifts in the global market.</title>
		<link>https://designnews.co.za/in-2025-vinimarks-international-team-explored-fresh-frontiers-for-south-african-wine-while-adapting-to-shifts-in-the-global-market/</link>
		<comments>https://designnews.co.za/in-2025-vinimarks-international-team-explored-fresh-frontiers-for-south-african-wine-while-adapting-to-shifts-in-the-global-market/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Dec 2025 07:34:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Design News]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vinimark]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://designnews.co.za/?p=10721</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In 2025, Vinimark continued to explore fresh frontiers for South African wine while adapting to a global market that has become more competitive and more unpredictable. Even as conditions shifted, Vinimark felt a renewed sense of momentum. South Africa’s wine story continued to resonate beyond the country’s borders, and Vinimark leaned into that energy with purpose. This year marked an important evolution for Vinimark’s international portfolio  under its dynamic new director De Bruyn Steenkamp who took the reins in August 2024 with vision and verve. In tandem with Vinimark celebrating its 40th year and crystallising its position as a wine company that supports brand development and distribution, the team has expanded its focus beyond export logistics to support a growing portfolio and make its broader expertise and experience available to Vinimark’s Brand Partners. Significant new additions to the Vinimark International portfolio, such as Vilafonté and Kasteelberg, joined established global favourites including Krone, Reyneke, Barista and Robertson Wines. Together, these brands present a clear and compelling view of modern South African wine that blends heritage with innovation and authenticity. By the end of 2025, and with 2026 firmly in sight, Vinimark’s international offering was centred on curiosity, quality and long-term brand [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Vinimark named South Africa’s #1 wine distributor and top 3 alcohol distributor at 2025 Advantage Awards</title>
		<link>https://designnews.co.za/vinimark-named-south-africas-1-wine-distributor-and-top-3-alcohol-distributor-at-2025-advantage-awards/</link>
		<comments>https://designnews.co.za/vinimark-named-south-africas-1-wine-distributor-and-top-3-alcohol-distributor-at-2025-advantage-awards/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Oct 2025 12:15:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Design News]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vinimark]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://designnews.co.za/?p=10657</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Vinimark, South Africa’s leading independent wine distributor, has been named the number one wine distributor in the country and among the top three alcohol distributors overall at the 2025 Advantage Awards. The awards were presented during the Consumer Goods Council Summit 2025 at VodaWorld, Midrand on 8 October 2025. The recognition is based on retailers’ ratings in the annual Voice of Retail programme, and highlights Vinimark’s market leadership, operational excellence and strong partnerships across the trade. Vinimark was ranked in third position overall, alongside South Africa’s largest liquor distributors &#8211; South African Breweries (SAB), the country’s top beer and cider producer, and Edward Snell, a major spirits distributor.  Vinimark’s achievement is particularly remarkable, considering that it focuses exclusively on wine and select champagnes, including Champagne Bollinger and La Maison Pommery. Through this accolade, Vinimark has solidified its position as the country’s leading wine distributor and a key driver in the broader alcohol distribution market. ‘Being recognised as South Africa’s top wine distributor and one of the top three alcohol distributors is a tremendous honour,’ says Sales Director at Vinimark, Riaan Rautenbach. ‘Our rise, from being placed 12th in 2023, to 6th in 2024, and now 3rd overall in 2025, demonstrates [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>https://designnews.co.za/vinimark-named-south-africas-1-wine-distributor-and-top-3-alcohol-distributor-at-2025-advantage-awards/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<title>Love of People: Mentorship and Diversity in the Wine Industry. From representation to real power.</title>
		<link>https://designnews.co.za/love-of-people-mentorship-and-diversity-in-the-wine-industry-from-representation-to-real-power/</link>
		<comments>https://designnews.co.za/love-of-people-mentorship-and-diversity-in-the-wine-industry-from-representation-to-real-power/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Sep 2025 07:35:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Design News]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lifestyle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vinimark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://designnews.co.za/?p=10531</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Across the Cape Winelands, a quiet shift is gaining momentum, one rooted in mentorship, ownership and community development. It’s a shift that’s not just reshaping who gets to be part of the wine industry, but how they thrive within it. For too long, knowledge of wine was something passed around the same tables through informal apprenticeships, family networks, and closed-door connections. For many black South Africans, this meant not just exclusion from ownership, but exclusion from understanding: terroir, varietals, markets, culture. But change is happening, and mentorship is at the heart of it. Because wine, after all, isn’t learned in isolation. It’s passed hand to hand, cellar to cellar, harvest to harvest. And when mentorship is structured, intentional, and inclusive, it becomes a powerful bridge across the barriers that have long held the industry back. The results? Transformational, not just for individuals, but for the industry’s future. Phil Bowes, Manager of Inclusive Growth Strategies at SA Wine, shares that the sector now supports 107 black-owned wine brands, up by 50% in just ten years, alongside 81 black-owned farms spanning grape production, logistics, and retail. But more than the numbers, it’s the capability that’s grown: a generation of better technically equipped [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Vinimark turns 40 — and steps into a new era with clarity and intention</title>
		<link>https://designnews.co.za/vinimark-turns-40-and-steps-into-a-new-era-with-clarity-and-intention/</link>
		<comments>https://designnews.co.za/vinimark-turns-40-and-steps-into-a-new-era-with-clarity-and-intention/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Aug 2025 05:52:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Design News]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vinimark]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://designnews.co.za/?p=10480</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After four decades of supporting the growth of South African wine, Vinimark is entering its fifth decade with a renewed sense of purpose and a new visual identity to match. More than a ‘refresh’, this evolution is the result of considerable internal reflection and a shared ambition to continually improve, for partners, employees, and the communities Vinimark serves. It’s a visible expression of who Vinimark has become and the values that will guide the company forward. “Since 1985, we’ve grown by staying close to the people we work with,” says CEO Eckhardt Gerber. “Listening well. Supporting consistently. Building trust. Our new identity is part of that same journey, a signal that we are evolving to meet the future with clarity, care, and conviction.” The rebrand supports Vinimark’s transition from a wine distributor to a strategic growth partner, one that offers market insight, commercial fluency, and strong, deep alignment with the brands it represents. “Today’s wine landscape is dynamic,” Gerber continues. “With a new generation of consumers, new opportunities for inclusion, new ways of doing business, and new opportunities around sustainability. We believe in adapting boldly, and always with people at the centre.” A brand built from the inside out Vinimark’s [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Beyond the label: Building brands that live in people’s minds</title>
		<link>https://designnews.co.za/beyond-the-label-building-brands-that-live-in-peoples-minds/</link>
		<comments>https://designnews.co.za/beyond-the-label-building-brands-that-live-in-peoples-minds/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Jul 2025 16:12:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Design News]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vinimark]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://designnews.co.za/?p=10432</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[‘Products are made in factories, but brands are created in minds.’ Advertising executive Leo Burnett’s timeless insight has never rung truer, especially in the world of wine. In late May, Vinimark opened the doors of its premises in Klapmuts outside of Cape Town for a Packaging and Innovation Masterclass that brought together creatives, strategists and storytellers from across the wine world. The session, led by Vinimark’s Wine Training &#38;amp; Education Manager Ginette de Fleuriot, featured two provocateurs of design thinking: François Rey of graphic design studio Monday Design and Brenden Schwartz, co-founder of wine brand Orpheus &#38;amp; The Raven. Their message was clear: in a market that’s crowded, fast-moving and increasingly visual, it’s not only your grape variety, terroir, wine quality or awards that will set you apart. It’s your brand memory: the emotional connection your packaging, positioning and story create in a split second. The rise of the distinctive asset Walk into any bottle store and you’ll see it: shelf upon shelf of beautifully bottled ambition. But amid all that noise, only a few speak with clarity. Why? Because they’ve built what Schwartz called distinctive assets: visual cues that work harder than names, louder than labels. Think Nike’s swoosh, [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Swirl, sniff, sip AND story – how narrative makes wine mean more</title>
		<link>https://designnews.co.za/swirl-sniff-sip-and-story-how-narrative-makes-wine-mean-more/</link>
		<comments>https://designnews.co.za/swirl-sniff-sip-and-story-how-narrative-makes-wine-mean-more/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 May 2025 08:37:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Design News]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vinimark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://designnews.co.za/?p=10311</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Long before tasting rooms and Insta-worthy vineyards, there were people. Characters. Romances. Epic treks. And, yes, wine. It turns out that what’s in the bottle often starts with what’s on the page. Because the truth is, the more you know about a wine’s backstory, the more you feel connected to the glass in your hand. Take Laurens Campher, for example. A young German soldier who landed in the untamed Cape in the late 1600s, he fell in love with Ansela van de Caab, a woman enslaved at the Castle of Good Hope. Every few weeks, Laurens would walk – yes, walk – the 50-kilometre journey from Stellenbosch to Cape Town just to see her. Three days on foot, no horse, just heart. Then there’s Johannes Augustus Dreyer, who reportedly fled Europe after a fatal duel over a woman. A century and a half later, his descendants would plant more than 1 300 vines on a Swartland farm. That land became Leeuwenkuil – ‘Lion’s Lair’ – a now-iconic name echoing wildness, resilience and history. Leeuwenkuil’s home turf was once the stomping ground of the Cape lion, now extinct but immortalised in the ironwork on the farm’s historic front door. The land [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Context matters: What really rules when judging wine</title>
		<link>https://designnews.co.za/context-matters-what-really-rules-when-judging-wine/</link>
		<comments>https://designnews.co.za/context-matters-what-really-rules-when-judging-wine/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Apr 2025 07:26:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Design News]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lifestyle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vinimark]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://designnews.co.za/?p=10232</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8216;It&#8217;s like watching a foreign film without subtitles,&#8217; quipped a participant at Vinimark&#8217;s recent &#8216;How to Taste and How to Score&#8217; Masterclass, describing the challenge of assigning scores in an unsighted tasting. It&#8217;s a sentiment that resonated across the room at the Klapmuts premises of South Africa’s largest independent wine specialist, where even seasoned industry professionals found themselves second-guessing their sensory instincts. Master of Wine Cathy van Zyl was there to demystify the complex world of wine scoring, where a point or two can mean the difference between silver success and golden glory. &#8216;Each time you taste, it&#8217;s an opportunity to learn,&#8217; she told the gathering, drawing from her extensive experience judging at prestigious competitions like the International Wine Challenge (IWC) and serving on numerous global tasting panels. &#8216;If you don&#8217;t learn about the wine itself, you learn something about yourself and your tasting ability.&#8217; It&#8217;s a humbling reminder that even after decades of experience, wine keeps you on your toes – or rather, on the tip of your tongue. Van Zyl&#8217;s journey to respected international authority included many learning experiences along the way, an important one of which was that ‘people taste wine for different reasons, and they taste [...]]]></description>
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		<title>With consumer confidence at its highest since 2019, the local wine industry charts strategic course for 2025 despite previous year&#8217;s headwinds</title>
		<link>https://designnews.co.za/with-consumer-confidence-at-its-highest-since-2019-the-local-wine-industry-charts-strategic-course-for-2025-despite-previous-years-headwinds/</link>
		<comments>https://designnews.co.za/with-consumer-confidence-at-its-highest-since-2019-the-local-wine-industry-charts-strategic-course-for-2025-despite-previous-years-headwinds/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Mar 2025 10:15:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Design News]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lifestyle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vinimark]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://designnews.co.za/?p=10152</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The South African wine industry begins 2025 with cautious optimism, according to leading distributor Vinimark&#8217;s first-quarter Market Review. This follows a challenging 2024 that saw fourth-quarter volumes drop to 9.5 million litres, down 11% from 2018&#8217;s 10.6 million litres. Despite these headwinds, the industry demonstrates remarkable resilience and adaptability in responding to changing market dynamics. Oelof Weideman, Head of Insights &#38; Business Advisory at Vinimark, provides context for the current landscape: &#8216;December 2024&#8217;s sales of R1.4 billion fell short of December 2023, even with roughly 5% inflation. &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; With 49% of consumers planning to reduce out-of-home dining, the on-trade sector faces particular challenges. Yet evidence suggests that whilst visit frequency may decrease, consumers are more likely to invest in premium experiences when they do dine out, presenting opportunities for sophisticated wine programmes and innovative brand experiences. The emergence of sparkling wine in a can as a growth category points to evolving consumer preferences and drinking occasions. The premium segment demonstrates noteworthy resilience, with wines above R200 showing 6% year-on-year growth. However, Weideman cautions against oversimplified interpretations: &#8216;This isn&#8217;t traditional premiumisation. Rather, it reflects economic stratification, with affluent consumers maintaining premium purchases whilst the crucial sub-R80 [...]]]></description>
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		<title>South Africa&#8217;s finest wines shone at Vinimark&#8217;s Night of the Stars</title>
		<link>https://designnews.co.za/south-africas-finest-wines-shone-at-vinimarks-night-of-the-stars/</link>
		<comments>https://designnews.co.za/south-africas-finest-wines-shone-at-vinimarks-night-of-the-stars/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Mar 2025 06:43:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Design News]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lifestyle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vinimark]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://designnews.co.za/?p=10142</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Some of South Africa’s most celebrated wines took center stage at Vinimark’s Night of the Stars, held on Tuesday, 25 February, at the One&#38;Only Hotel in Cape Town. The event brought together wine professionals for an evening of exceptional tastings and conversations with the winemakers behind these acclaimed vintages. The evening showcased 89 exceptional wines available for tasting, including 57 award-winning wines from Vinimark&#8217;s brand partners that have achieved Veritas Double Gold, Tim Atkin 95+ ratings, Michelangelo Double Gold and Trophies, and Five Star Platter&#8217;s honours. &#8220;Night of the Stars is our way of celebrating South African winemaking at its best, paying tribute to the dedication, craftsmanship, and passion behind every bottle, while shining a spotlight on the talented winemakers within our portfolio who embody the spirit of excellence in South African wine.&#8221; said Helen Kock, Brand Portfolio Director at Vinimark. &#8220;We are incredibly proud of our brand partners and their achievements, and this evening was a chance to share these remarkable wines with key industry guests, including leading wine buyers, retailers, and sommeliers.&#8221; The outstanding calibre of wines presented was exemplified by recent achievements: Porseleinberg&#8217;s Syrah 2022 scored an extraordinary 99 points in Tim Atkin&#8217;s South Africa Special Report, [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>From foolproof hacks to trusted techniques &#8211; your guide to food and wine pairing</title>
		<link>https://designnews.co.za/from-foolproof-hacks-to-trusted-techniques-your-guide-to-food-and-wine-pairing/</link>
		<comments>https://designnews.co.za/from-foolproof-hacks-to-trusted-techniques-your-guide-to-food-and-wine-pairing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Mar 2025 12:28:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Design News]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lifestyle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vinimark]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://designnews.co.za/?p=10133</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A great food and wine pairing is a feast for the senses. With so many possibilities, it’s easy to become overwhelmed, but creating memorable sensations comes down to just two key elements: understanding the basics and an adventurous mindset. Cape Wine Master Ginette de Fleuriot, who is the Wine Training and Education Manager at leading wine distributor Vinimark, is passionate about the subject and recently hosted a Food &#38; Wine Pairing Masterclass with fellow gastronome Carolyn Martin of Creation Wines. Their insights offer a solid foundation for anyone looking to learn, experiment and discover. Pairing food and wine is both scientific and subjective. If you are looking for the perfect match, be prepared to have fun and experiment but keep these key elements: in mind: Smell &#38; Taste Interestingly, taste is not solely reliant on our tastebuds. Our taste experience is determined largely by smell. In fact, 70 -80% of taste comes from all the nuances that we smell in the retro-nasal cavity. The five basic tastes that shape flavour experiences are sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami (a concentrated, savoury taste often found in protein-rich foods, such as miso). Yet there’s a newly “discovered” sixth taste too: minerality. Minerality [...]]]></description>
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