Davidson, Dick (Richard Edward)
Wine consultant/agent for overseas importers of SA wine - owner of Fairseat label
Contact: Davidson
Website: Fairseat Cellars.
Dick completed the Cape Wine Academy Diploma in 1988 and was completed his Cape Wine Master studies in 1990. His research project was titled Alsace - An overall view of this unique French wine region.
He is the importer and distributor in South Africa of Domaines Schlumberger wines from Alsace. He has his own wine label (Fairseat Cellars) which exports wine.
Dick was born into a gold mining family and attended Potch Boys High and then The University of the Witwatersrand. He then spent 25 years with Standard Bank. During that time he developed an interest in wine and initiated a tasting group called Group 10 that focused on international wines. He left the banking world in 1990 and settled in Cape Town to become involved in the wine industry. Dick currently co ordinates the exports to USA for fellow CWM and MW Peter Koff, and exports wines to a partner in Germany. His best achievement to date has been an order for 26 containers of Sauvignon Blanc for a German discount house, which sold out in two and an half weeks. In addition to which he and his partner have twice had the economy class red wine on Lufthansa.
Circumstances permitting, he tries to travel to different wine regions whenever he can, focussing mainly on the traditional areas of France and Germany.
Wine activities: Dick participates on tasting panels for Wine Magazine, Diners Club, Wine Society, South African Young Wine Show and the Veritas Awards. He consults for Get Wine.
Special areas of wine interest : the Riesling varietal, and Germany and Alsace regions.
Other interests: Travelling, Golf, Food.
Dick is married to Gill and they have two grown up children.
