Briefly… Diners Club buys Platter’s Guide

Diners Club has bought South Africa’s first and best-selling wine annual – the Platter’s Guide – jam packed with information on more than 800 wine producers and over 7 300 wines in the current guide. Diners Club and the Platter’s Guide, both highly respected brands with loyal followings, have been involved in the local wine industry for more than three decades.

“We are committed to enhancing this great relationship, in making SA’s most iconic wine companion an even more invaluable tool for wine lovers everywhere,” says Ebrahim Matthews, MD of Diners Club South Africa.

The Platter’s Guide joins an impressive portfolio of respected wine-related assets and initiatives that Diners Club has built over the years, including the Diners Club Winelist Awards, the Diners Club Winemaker of the Year and Young Winemaker of the Year Awards, as well as the title sponsorship for the Diners Club Bartho Eksteen Wine Academy. These initiatives have played a crucial role in the development of the South African food and wine industry and, like the Platter’s Guide, showcase the passion and successes of the wines and their wineries.

Diners Club plans to keep the current format of the Platter’s Guide for the foreseeable future but will be looking at ways to expand its digital offerings and viewership options. In addition Diners Club will be reviewing options on ways to bring the guide to its cardholders through exciting new channels such as Diners Club Connoisseurs, a virtual meeting place where like-minded members can converse, learn, share and cultivate their passion for the finer things in life, as well as options for special member deals. “We expect both brands to benefit from wider exposure to each other’s markets and clients through co-branding and cross-marketing” says Matthews.

Platter’s Guide publisher Andrew McDowall says the acquisition by Diners Club is an exciting development. “When two renowned organisations like Diners Club and Platter’s Guide combine their separate skills, the results are bound to be outstanding.”