I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all Jacob’s Quest wine brand loyal customers and  hope that you will continue to show your unwaivering support for our wonderful wines. The past year has been exciting for us with regard to introducing our wines for the first time to different target markets and customers who have never bought or tasted JQ wines before. The positive response we have received from customer’s who love our wines has been truly heart-warming and fantastic .Thus we promise as Jacob’s Quest to continue creating quality and enjoyable wines that you are now accustomed to.

The beginning of 2010 was exciting, interesting and challenging because it meant that we had to roll-out product positioning strategies that we did plan in 2009. The paddle had to be pressed intensely as to ensure that JQ wines are available to our customers in various liquor outlets. As ground-breakers within the local wine industry we continued to attend various wine festivals and events as part of brand awareness and creating personal interactions with our customers. Not that we are blowing our own ’horn’  but in every wine event that we have attended in 2010 JQ wines were always the most loved, enjoyed, preferred and outsold most wine brands. 

Meanwhile in that year we expanded our product exposure by exporting for the first time JQ wines in Windhoek, Namibia. I had a wonderful time visiting potential liquor and restaurant outlets. The opportunities are remarkable because the market is not congested with wines and consumers in that country are already accustomed to South African wine brands. For us it was an indication that it is still an untapped market were JQ wines can expand and develop. People were friendly and the sand dunes kept me puzzled of how nature could create such a wonderful landscape. However I must say they have beautiful women as well who could not get enough of our wines and of course my pointed shoes.

Not long ago I overheard a gentleman talking to his friend over the phone saying ‘ compliments of the new year and welcome to twenty whenever’ . At first I was confused about what he just said then he narrated to his friend stating ‘ I’m saying whenever because I’m committing myself as of now to write down WHENEVER any business idea or thought that I have, select those that seem feasible and then act on them. I thought this was a brilliant mindset to start the new year with. Thus as Jacob’s Quest wine brand  part of our objective for 2011 is to further develop the brand; continue to create quality wines; make them accessible to our customers in more retail outlets such as Spar and Pick n’ Pay; expand our product portfolio; export our wines to other African countries and international markets.

Currently the global economy is faced with many challenges and they are even more apparent in the developing countries. The South African wine brands are not immune to high rising export pricing influenced by the rand exchange rate and the current natural disasters in a form of floods that has caused devastation for the grape growers and their vineyards. This is truly a time to be innovative, facilitate consumer research, understand your market better, minimise costs and be an analytical wine brand. Gone are the days of making decisions for customers, we are living in a technological world were lifestyle attitudes and behaviors are communicated via social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, ect. If you want to keep up with your consumer market you need to understand and adapt to the technological playing field.

The local wine consumer is constantly changing and demanding quality products. 2011 will see countless wine brands entering the market and challenged in terms of having a unique selling proposition. And I strongly believe that's what sets Jacob’s Quest Wines apart from any other wine brand in the market. We have a true inspirational South African story which always captures people’s minds and make them feel that anything is possible with the right thinking, partnerships and most of all passion. Now, I would like to urge all of you to continue supporting our wines, tell other’s about our brand, ask it by name in any outlet and join me in my quest to ensure that all South Africans consume Jacob’s Quest Wines.