Chenin specialist Bruwer Raats once again made international headlines when his 2009 Raats Original Chenin Blanc was recently featured on Bloomberg News. Master of Wine Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan recommended four wines to the viewers as perfect for the Memorial Day weekend and included Raats as the only South African in the line-up.
Simonetti-Bryan is one of only five female Masters of Wine in the States and has become a regular face on the small screen as an industry expert commenting on wines and consumption trends. During the interview, she revealed that Americans are now the top wine consuming country in the world and explained that the American wine market is distinctly demarcated into generation segments.
According to Simonetti-Bryan, the over 45 bracket is much more brand focused and tend to buy highly recognisable brands, while the under 45 market is more adventurous and willing to try different varietals. For this market segment, she highly recommended the South African Chenin Blanc.
Raats was delighted to be included in the segment after meeting Simonetti-Bryan during a recent trip to the States. “It is fantastic to be featured on a prominent TV news station such as Bloomberg, which is watched by literally millions of viewers globally. It is great when South African wines receive the recognition they deserve and I’m very excited by the exposure for local Chenin Blanc, which I’ve always believed to be the unsung hero of the local wine industry,” mentioned Raats.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRlc_EPyWcw
