DISTELL GAINS SHARE OF BOTTLED WINE EXPORTS

South African wine and spirits company Distell said its wine segment showed profitable growth in the year to June despite increased competition. Distell's international business contributed 18% of total revenue, while export volumes grew 9.8%. Spirit volumes were up 23.2% thanks to solid performances in all key markets. Its “drive” wine brands showed volume growth of 12.6% despite worldwide oversupply and the contracting market share experienced by many players. Meanwhile, wine export volume rose 3.3% due to a decline in the sales of the company’s non-drive brands.

Jan Scannell, managing director, said Distell had performed better than the South African wine industry in foreign markets, growing its share of bottled wine exports. Earnings from wine exports had also “significantly increased,” as the company works to strengthen its ties in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.