Wine.co.za marks 30th anniversary as South Africa’s digital wine industry reference hub

wine.co.za, South Africa’s premier digital platform and central source of truth for the local wine industry, is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Co-founded in 1996 by Judy Brower and Kevin Kidson and based in Somerset West, the platform has spent three decades leveraging emerging technology to connect wineries, trade buyers, media, and consumers worldwide.

Kevin Kidson with baby Leila – starting wine.co.za in 1996.

From digital pioneer to industry reference

Starting as a simple digital directory long before online shopping or cloud databases were industry norms, wine.co.za has grown into an indispensable reference hub hosting an active digital archive of over 45 000 historical technical wine fact sheets, tasting notes, vintage records, and award results. The platform averages over 315 000 unique monthly visitors and 1.2 million pageviews, with content spanning wine tech sheets, news, people, events, classified ads, and winery and tourism profiles – serving as an always-on digital press office for the trade.

Innovation built on adaptability

Over three decades, wine.co.za has continuously developed tools and services to address operational and marketing challenges for wineries. WineTrader provides a bulk trading platform to help producers clear their cellars, while WineScape was a quarterly wine tourism magazine covering food, wine, and travel. The CellarDirect e-commerce engine offers turnkey direct-to-consumer channels, and a flexible Token System democratises media access for small and boutique producers by allowing estates to publish news, tech sheets, and event updates without expensive PR retainers.

A new addition, the CellarDirect TRADE portal, offers a curated 40-winery platform enabling restaurants, guesthouses, and wine bars to source small-batch wines directly from producers at trade prices.

The platform is also a proud media partner to institutions including the South African Wine Tasting Championships (SAWTC), the South African Sommeliers Association (SASA), the Pinotage Youth Development Academy (PYDA), The Pebbles Trust, StreetSmart, The Wine Tourism Conference, Chenin Noir, and the Institute of Cape Wine Masters.

Empowering people and social impact

wine.co.za established its #wineforgood portal as a dedicated media hub highlighting upliftment, environmental sustainability, and human stories across the Winelands. The platform also launched the DTC Academy in partnership with wine education specialist Neil Tabraham, offering a Wine Sales Professional Certificate that equips tasting room staff with practical wine knowledge, service excellence, and sales techniques. To date, the Academy has certified over 130 graduates, creating career progression for hospitality workers and alumni from social development partners including PYDA and the Pebbles Project.

Judy Brower and Kevin Kidson in 2026.

Decades of dedication and resilience

Having navigated economic slumps, severe droughts, the COVID-19 pandemic, and shifting global consumption trends, wine.co.za has built a reputation for staying lean, agile, and community-focused.

“What I value most over these 30 years isn’t just the technology we’ve built, but the relationships we’ve forged,” says co-founder Judy Brower. “We are privileged to have an exceptionally loyal team, representing over 140 years of collective wine industry experience. Our mission remains simple: stay agile, empower people, and keep sharing the incredible stories of South African wine with the world.”

Media Contact
Judy Brower, Co-Founder / CEO
| +27 (0)21 851 2737 | www.wine.co.za