Winemakers On Fire, Issue #54

Hello, fellow wine lovers!

This week, we uncork the entrepreneurial spirit of Andrew Ing, the founder of Gun Bay Wines and THIS QUIET EARTH. From navigating export hurdles to crafting clever branding, Andrew’s story is an ode to the power of tenacity, adaptability, and innovation in the wine industry.

Let’s dive in.

The Quiet Journey: How Gun Bay Wines Founder Andrew Ing Uncorked a World of Entrepreneurial Success

In the hyper-competitive wine industry, where a sea of labels vie for attention, it takes an entrepreneur with a distinct vision, innovative flair, and sheer grit to make a mark. Andrew Ing, founder of Gun Bay Wines and premium wine brand THIS QUIET EARTH, has carved his own path with a story that’s as dynamic as it is inspiring.

From navigating the challenges of seafood exports to embracing new markets in the face of COVID-19, Andrew’s journey is an embodiment of entrepreneurship at its finest. From clever branding to careful curation, he’s crafted a distinct identity for Gun Bay Wines and THIS QUIET EARTH, setting the stage for continued success in a crowded marketplace.

Andrew, as the founder of Gun Bay Wines, could you share the story behind your brand and the key milestones in your entrepreneurial journey? In particular, what innovative branding strategies did you use to differentiate Gun Bay wines from others, both locally and internationally?

In 2018, I exited my food service company that supplied seafood, meat, dairy, and dry goods to the restaurant trade. With 20 trucks on the road, 60 permanent employees, hundreds of customers, and a pile of stress, it was time for a change! My export wine licence, along with previous corporate experience in exporting seafood and fruit, led me into wine exports and in 2019, I came up with a brand idea that I felt would resonate with Chinese consumers as that market seemed to hold potential at the time. Europe was daunting to me, with many different markets, all over-traded. 

Gun Bay is a subtle pun (identical pronunciation) on the centuries-old Chinese toast to Good Health, Happiness, and Prosperity (干杯 Gānbēi). Cheers! I also felt it had universal appeal as a short, sharp 2-syllable brand that is easy to say in any language. It also ties into Cape heritage with the daily ritual since 1806 of the Noon GUN on Signal Hill firing over Table BAY. Key milestones in any brand are coming up with a name, crafting a story around it, getting the design done, bottling, and finding a sustainable price point.

I asked creative John Pace to help on Gun Bay and he did a beautiful hand-drawn image of the Noon Gun cannon and Table Mountain with a big, bold typeface to stand out on a shelf. I settled on a Cab/Merlot blend, and 8 months after conception, I had my first run of 6,000 bottles in a tapered claret bottle, branded capsule, cork, and carton, and what seemed like a vast stockholding on hand with no customers.  I am sure every brand owner remembers the excitement of their first bottling. 

I attended the Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Fair in November 2019, met a Chinese importer who loved the wine and brand, and then in early 2020, just as I revved my engines, COVID struck the universe. But in March 2020, I got my first export order for 5 pallets to China and created a steady business there over the next two years, shipping containers fairly regularly until oversupply and the lockdowns of 2022 destroyed the market. 

The wine world is constantly evolving. How do you keep your brand relevant and adaptable in the face of changing consumer tastes, technological advancements, and market trends?

A big challenge in the midst of COVID was a global reluctance from importers to take on new brands when everyone was sitting on inventory. I used LinkedIn to connect, and I reached out daily to local wineries and winemakers for years, simply phoning or emailing anyone I felt might be interested in helping me grow Gun Bay. I would advise others to do the same; networking is critical, especially when you start up in an industry about which you know very little. You just have to pick up the phone and do it. I was helped and ignored in equal measure, but one needs a damned thick skin for this business!

I was desperate for an industry equity partner who had export contacts and who could help me with production while I focused on sales and marketing, but no one seemed interested in a brand that didn’t yet have scale. It was not difficult to find the wine and make the packaging look desirable, but without customers, cojones, and a bit of cash to sustain you while you look for them, you are dead in the water.

Slowly but surely I started moving a few pallets out of my garage and some containers into markets like Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Rwanda, and Kenya, all the while getting brand exposure on LinkedIn and Facebook, attending trade shows in China, Germany, and recently in the UK, engaging with Wesgro in their laudable efforts to arrange B2B interactions, and just generally hustling hard to try to make a living from it. Several people lost patience with me or ghosted me for years, but somehow, I hung in, punted Gun Bay wherever I could, kept paying my bills, and tried to punch the air every morning.

As an entrepreneur in the wine industry, what unique challenges have you faced while establishing Gun Bay Wines, and how did you turn these challenges into opportunities for growth? Also, what valuable lessons have you learned from your journey that you would like to pass on to aspiring winery founders?

When one starts out alone in any venture with no experience in it, there will be many mistakes, red herrings, and dead ends. It’s useful to not make too many mistakes, and even better to learn from them! Recently, leaning on the statistic that approximately 85% of wine sold in South Africa retails for around R70, I looked for wine at this price point where I felt I could make more money moving volume than selling a pallet here and there at a higher price, and I could show off my big, sassy Gun Bay brand to my best advantage.

I needed a great-quality everyday wine that could be my bread and butter, while I simultaneously started to develop a second, premium brand that had a story close to my heart. And of course, I found this great, everyday wine in abundance in the Breedekloof wine region. I reached out to a family who have been in the wine trade for around 30 years, handling bulk wine, private labels, and their own brands. Their winemaking experience and the export volumes they handled meant that they had a clear formula for consistency in quality from tried and trusted producers. They bottled a sample range of Chenin, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rosè, Cabernet, Shiraz, and Pinotage.

I took these wines to Prowein Dusseldorf and the overwhelming response from everyone who tasted at my stand was that the quality/price ratio was spot on. I was also amazed at how many people said they simply stopped in at my stand to taste the wines because the brand looked interesting and stood out well. Thanks, John Pace! I followed this up at the London Wine Fair in May 2024 and I think that with the success of these two fairs, a more sustainable plan and a price point that works, I have now finally reached a turning point in my wine journey.

In your view, what is the current state of the South African wine industry, and what role do you see Gun Bay wines playing in shaping its future?

A big challenge facing the SA wine industry is to achieve higher prices at the lower end of the market (where all the volume is) to enable producers to survive. All the feedback from my trade shows tells me that SA wines punch well above their weight in quality, and collectively, we somehow need to push the price.  Retail prices of €5–99 and €6–99 are barely sustainable back on the farm.

With the wild, melodramatic, and Gothic essence of Wuthering Heights as your inspiration, how did you translate this classic novel into the premium wine brand, THIS QUIET EARTH, which you describe as a "journey...as fascinating as it is thoughtful" from concept to execution?

Books have always enthralled me, and I surround myself with them.  One novel that has stood out for me is Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights from 1847. This wild, melodramatic, Gothic masterpiece was recommended by Hemingway as standard reading for anyone wishing to become a writer.

The final paragraph is a gently melancholic, elegiac ending to a tempestuous narrative journey: “I lingered round them, under that benign sky; watched the moths fluttering among the heath and hare-bells; listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass; and wondered how anyone could ever imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth.”  There was the phrase for my premium wine brand, which I adapted slightly to THIS QUIET EARTH.

A young local artist, Sezaria Grusch, crafted a beautiful charcoal and graphite drawing for the front label, and I found a gorgeous, gently oaked, smooth, not too spicy Shiraz from the Darling wine region.  A red wax seal, a cotton white textured label with a deckled edge, a neck tag for a gifting message and a brand story, which I wrote as an old, burnt-looking manuscript and which is printed on tissue paper around each bottle. 

Brontë used the Yorkshire weather and nature to great effect in the novel, shaping the story and the characters around it, and I like the way this ties in to the varied terroir and weather patterns that have moulded our beautiful Cape winelands from the dawn of time. The brand got a magnificent reception in London so this will be another venture alongside Gun Bay, upon which I will pin my hopes and expend my energies! 

Here are 3 key insights from our interview with Andrew Ing, founder of Gun Bay Wines:

1. Innovative branding is crucial for standing out in a crowded market. Andrew's clever brand name "Gun Bay" (a pun on the Chinese toast for good health) and distinct label design allowed his wines to capture attention and resonate with Chinese consumers. The brand's story and visual identity were carefully crafted to differentiate it from competitors.

2. Perseverance and networking are vital for entrepreneurial success. Despite facing numerous challenges, like the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting markets, Andrew persisted in connecting with industry players, attending trade shows, and relentlessly promoting his brand. His tenacity, along with building relationships through networking, helped him gradually gain a foothold in various export markets.

3. Adapting to market dynamics is key for long-term relevance. Andrew recognised the need to offer wines at different price points, introducing an affordable, high-quality "everyday" wine range alongside his premium "THIS QUIET EARTH" brand inspired by literary references. This flexibility allows him to cater to diverse consumer segments and evolving tastes.

Thank you, Andrew, for uncorking your inspiring entrepreneurial journey. Your relentless drive and tenacity for the wine industry are compelling, and we wish you continued success in all your endeavours!

Illustrating Ambition: The Inspired Design of Gun Bay

The Artistic Alchemy of Gun Bay Labels, by John Pace

“Designing for a new brand is always exciting and for me, the opportunity to work with someone who is so passionate about what they are doing. Andrew Ing is no exception. He’s not a wine maker, nor did he start out with a degree in marketing, but passionate he is, with an infectious personality to match. He dreams big and being a creative man (and writer), conjured up Gun Bay. With his research done, I was left to illustrate the canon on top of Signal Hill.

Andrew, at the time, had little experience in the wine industry, and it’s been a long, hard slog, but of course, he’s no quitter. He follows the likes of the successful Bruce Jack and many other writers and wine bloggers, always keen to learn more. He’s been to the Chinese Wine Trade Show (twice, I think) and London too, and every time he goes, his brand just looks better and better. He makes connections and follows up!

The hardest part for any brand is getting accepted into the market and making sales, and Andrew is getting a foothold in the market, one glass at a time. Hats off to Andrew Ing, you storm trooper.”

Until next Tuesday, keep your glass full and your taste buds curious.