Buy more Cape wine urges Michael Fridjhon, in a vote against Trump tariffs

The Money Show's Stephen Grootes talks to Michael Fridjhon, founder of Wine Wizard.

International wine expert Michael Fridjhon is urging South Africans to buy more Cape wine as Trump tariffs - back to a temporary 10% or no, signal looming job losses and closures in the local industry.

RELATED: Trump tariff hits wine industry: 'US importers already telling SA suppliers orders are cancelled'

In an opinion piece for Business Day, Fridjhon highlights the impact the tariffs will have on imports from long-established European destinations.

"This turmoil is not ours alone: the US is France’s most important wine export market... How will producers in Bordeaux  respond to the impact of these American taxes: the US is their single most important international market?"

Michael Fridjhon, Wine Expert 

Along with the impact of current and then possibly much higher future tariffs, there's already been a decline in wine consumption worldwide for a number of years.

"They would therefore then close the door to OUR wines and that will have a very big impact on local producers."

Michael Fridjhon, Wine Expert

"If, in the middle of this, we find ourselves competing with strongly branded European product on European shelves, I fear that the doors will close on many South African producers and we'll then find that surplus brought back to our shelves."

Michael Fridjhon, Wine Expert

While this may be good news for local wine drinkers, dropping prices to secure sales will not be good for wineries trying to offload this surplus.

It will particularly apply to high-quality entry-level wines, Fridjhon says. 

"The quality is there, the pricing in this market is already quite depressed, and the opportunity for South African consumers who're prepared to put snobbery aside is simply vast."

Michael Fridjhon, Wine Expert

To hear more from Fridjhon, scroll up to the interview audio at the top of the article