Shortage in SA wine predicted

Shortage in SA wine predicted

Wine shortages within five years - that is what is predicted for the South African wine industry if export sales continue to grow at the current rate. According to reports on Decanter.com, vineyard planting is not keeping pace with export growth, which jumped a significant 12% in 2008. In the report, Merwe Botha, financial director at Distell, is quoted as saying: "There are signs that in the next five years the industry could face shortages in supply." Limited expansion possibilities and cashflow problems have been blamed for what could become a dire situation.