Dave Hughes Trophy – 2023

Heidi Duminy, principal of the CWA since July 2020, was designated as the fourth winner of the Dave Hughes Trophy, instituted in honour of the co-founder and honorary CWM of the Cape Wine Academy in 1979, who died in February this year. It is awarded annually to the CWM who has made a notable contribution to the Institute of Cape Wine Masters (ICWM), wine education or to the wine industry in general.

She is a deserving winner, in the light of her tireless work since her appointment in promoting awareness of the CWA and giving it a new face and character as a non-profit organisation as a platform for future growth in wine education.  She also spearheaded the renovation of the CWA’s premises at Oude Postkantoor in Stellenbosch and has elevated the image of the Institute and the CWA with the gallery wall of barrel staves featuring Cape Wine Masters since its inception.

Her dedication to wine education started when she qualified as a CWM in 2004. She has extensive experience spanning more than 20 years in the wine industry, including as marketing manager for Meridian Wine Merchants and she previously worked for Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy in South Africa and DGB.

Heidi is a senior lecturer at the Cape Wine Academy. She graduated with Distinction from the Wine Magazine Judging Academy and is widely known for her particular expertise in Cap Classique and Champagne. She sits on several judging panels, including the Amorim Cap Classique Challenge, Veritas and the Trophy Wine Show.

Cape Wine Masters, Cape Wine Master of the Year, Dave Hughes Trophy

Raymond Noppé (ICWM Secretary), Heidi Duminy, Jacques Steyn (ICWM Chairperson), Conrad Louw (ICWM Treasurer)

Cape Wine Masters, Cape Wine Master of the Year, Dave Hughes Trophy

Lizette Tolken (ICWM Educational Committee Representative), Jacques Steyn, Heidi Duminy