Sebeka's cheetah outstrips the competition

For Swartland it was a proud moment when they were selected by E&J Gallo, one of the world's leading wineries, to work with Gallo's team to produce their South African brand “Sebeka”.

7 Apr 2008

The first shipments left Swartland at the end of 2006 in time for the launch in March 2007. Now, just a year later, the wine has been ranked as the number one new wine brand in the 2007 Table Wine Top 10 New Brands published by Information Resources Inc (IRI), the leading global provider of consumer, shopper, and market insights for CPG, retail, and healthcare industries.

This ranking is based on sales performance in a 52-week evaluation period from January 7, 2007 to January 6, 2008. Sebeka wines earned this ranking in a year where 265 new brands were launched in the Table Wine category.

This recognition adds to a growing list of accolades received by the brand, which hit the market in March 2007 to impressive ratings among the industry's most influential wine publications. Sebeka's bold, fruit-forward wine style quickly gained strong scores from Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, along with a “Best Buy” recognition from USA Today.

For the estate, this was the perfect opportunity to enter the competitive US market, and that entry is seen as one of the biggest achievements in the 60-year history of the South African estate.

Sebeka's award-winning portfolio includes a Shiraz, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and two red wine blends featuring South African “Pinotage”; its' Cabernet-Pinotage and its signature varietal Shiraz-Pinotage “Cape Blend.”

The labels show a distinctive cheetah against the South African bush and Sebeka was the name of an orphaned cheetah cub that became the focus of a South African wildlife conservation movement nearly 50 years ago. The cheetah instantly communicates the bold, exotic, elegant taste and quality of the wine and the primal beauty of South Africa.