The Cape Winemakers Guild (CWG), Protégé Programme a mentorship scheme with the goal of effecting transformation in the wine industry, has enrolled its first viticulture intern alongside three new winemaking protégés for 2015.
This year’s intake of four new protégés brings to 17 the total number of interns who have participated in the programme since its inception in 2006, with no less than nine graduates currently working in the wine industry.
Under the mentorship of members of the Guild and the patronage of the Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Development Trust, Oenology and Viticulture protégés are cultivated, nurtured and empowered to become masters of their craft while enjoying the rare opportunity of working side by side with leaders in the industry.
Breathing new life into the programme, Logan Jooste of Kylemore outside Stellenbosch, is the first candidate for the two and a half year CWG VinPro Viticulture Protégé Programme.
The three new Oenology protégés, all graduates of Elsenburg Agricultural College, are Mahalia Matshete, of Vosloorus in the East Rand, who joins Logan at Ernie Els Wines; Clayton Christians of Cloetesville in Stellenbosch, who is spending the year with Etienne le Riche; and Kiara Scott of Strandfontein, Mitchell’s Plain, who is working with David Nieuwoudt at Cederberg Private Cellar. Whilst 2015 holds great opportunities for these new interns, four protégés who completed the programme at the end of last year have all started their careers as assistant winemakers at prominent cellars. Heinrich Kulsen has joined Nederburg; Philani Shongwe works at Springfontein near Stanford; Thornton Pillay joined the KWV cellar in Paarl; and Chandre Petersen is at Spier in Stellenbosch.
From Left – Right: Ricardo Cloete, Rose Kruger, Clayton Christians, Kiara Scott, Rudger van Wyk, Mahalia Matshete, Wade Sander & Logan Jooste
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