Four new Cape Wine Masters Graduate

History was made in South African wine this year as the Institute of Cape Wine Masters celebrated its first-ever blind graduate among four new Cape Wine Masters (CWM). Three new Cape Wine Masters are from the Cape and one from Johannesburg. Since its inception in 1983, 120 Cape Wine Master candidates to date have achieved this elite self-study qualification, making this year’s achievements all the more remarkable.

To celebrate the 100^th anniversary of Pinotage and the first bottled Pinotage under the Lanzerac label, a prestigious awards luncheon hosted by the Pinotage Association and the Lanzerac Hotel and Spa together with the Institute of Cape Wine Masters (ICWM) was held on Friday, 22 August, with graduate Jacques Lombard, the blind graduate in attendance. He was joined by fellow Cape Wine Master graduates – Bradley Wood, a Johannesburg-based specialist urologist in private practice; Riaan van der Spuy, cellar master at Swartland Winery and Janine van Zyl, a sommelier and international account manager at global wine and spirits social media agency, FirstPour.

The top graduates were awarded trophies in four categories; sparkling wine, viticulture, research paper excellence and brandy. Bradley Wood scored a hattrick by receiving three trophies namely for Sparkling Wine presented by Villiera Wines; for Viticulture presented by Jordan Winery and for Research Paper Excellence presented by Kleine Zalze Wines. Janine Van Zyl received the trophy for Brandy presented by Van Ryn Brandy.

After losing his sight in 1996, at the age of 26, Lombard’s introduction to the wine industry came through a tasting group for visually impaired wine enthusiasts, founded by Hermann Kirschbaum, then winemaker at Buitenverwachting. Twenty years later in 2016, he founded Winebrands Pty and pursued formal studies with distinction at the Cape Wine Academy. Lombard’s dissertation examined the formation, health effects, and mitigation of biogenic amines in wine, dispelling common myths about sulphites and highlighting the amine compounds as a key cause of wine-related discomfort. 

Riaan Van der Spuy’s dissertation reviewed high-altitude viticulture internationally and in South Africa, assessing its benefits, challenges, and potential as a collective marketing strategy to enhance the country’s wine industry.

Janine Van Zyl’s dissertation investigated how South African wineries can harness digital marketing, social media, and influencer collaborations to strengthen brand presence, engage consumers, and drive sales.

Bradley Wood’s dissertation explored whether South Africa’s Cape South Coast offers the country’s most favourable terroir for producing quality Syrah, concluding that the region delivers distinctive, world-class expressions shaped by its cool maritime climate and unique soils.

Beyers Truter, Chairperson of the Pinotage Association, led a special tasting of the Grand Pinotage wines, assisted by Abrie Beeslaar. These six Pinotages feature the past decades’ most prestigious producers. The tasting was concluded with the Lanzerac Commemorative Pinotage 2021, a tribute to the world’s first bottled Pinotage – a 1959 Lanzerac Pinotage – in a similar bottle and original label.