‘Zulu’ wines charm Chinese

A South African wine series with a Zulu connection was a good seller at a food and wine festival in Qingdao, one of China’s wealthiest cities.

King Goodwill Zwelithini’s Bayede! wines are an exclusive series representing the best South African varieties. “Bayede” means “Hail to the King” and the brand name was started in 2008 by the Zulu king and local business people.

The Bayede wine series sports names like “King Goodwill Shiraz 2006″, and “Queen Thomo Sauvignon Blanc 2010″.

Apart from wines, the series also features beadwork, linen, hand-woven shirts, organic soap and handbags – all endorsed by the royal logo.

The linen will go on sale in the Wetherlys interior decorating stores later this year, and several foreign retailers are interested in some of the products, according to Bayede chief executive Antoinette Vermooten.