We had a visit recently from an old friend whom we have known in the wine and hospitality industry for quite a few years. After several years working as Sommelier at the Cape Grace, Tinashe Marlvin Gwese is now Group Sommelier of the three hotels within The Liz McGrath Collection, which includes The Cellars-Hohenort, The Marine and The Plettenberg.
He wanted us to taste the sparkling wine he has made. We are very honoured. If you are wondering about the name, it is the name of Marlvin’s Totem. Made with Chardonnay grapes sourced in Franschhoek, it is a classic, crisp Blanc de Blanc with fresh flavours, lime and lemon notes and it has a good mousse; we opened it at a recent celebration and enjoyed it very much.
We first met Marlvin at the Twelve Apostles Hotel, attending the Cap Classique competition awards, and have watched his stellar career with admiration for several years. Like his compatriots Joseph Dhafana, Tinashe Nyamudoka and Pardon Taguzu, all four of whom we know, Marvin has a superb palate. Recently, they all starred in the recently released documentary Blind Ambition; https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9914972/ which has now won international film awards
These four talented young Zimbabwean migrants all came, separately, to South Africa to seek a better life. They came from a country with little history and culture of wine. Despite their other qualifications, they found work in restaurants, where they discovered wine and fast developed their skills and talent for wine tasting by studying wine and, in the process, they got to know each other. In 2017, they entered the South African Wine Tasting Championship, organised by expatriate French sommelier Jean Vincent Ridon and they all placed in the top 10. Jean Vincent said to them, “If you can raise the money, you can form your own Team Zimbabwe and go to the World Blind Wine Tasting Championships in France”. With the help of crowd-funded sponsorship and wine writer Jancis Robinson, they were able to take part in what is regarded as the wine Olympics. The rest is history, after a lot of hard work and the study of wine. They have worked at many of the top restaurants in South Africa. We have great respect for all four of them.
Pardon Taguzu is now Sommelier, Winemaker, Sales & Marketing Director at @Dzimbahwebrands and has been working as a head sommelier in the Netherlands. He has a degree in economics and an MBA equivalent. Tongai Joseph Dhafana has his own brand, Mosi Wines. He produces wines and gin which he is now promoting in Africa. Tinashe Nyamudoka has his own brand of wine, Kumusha Wines and in 1916 won the Eat Out Wine Service award while working with Luke Dale-Roberts at The Test Kitchen. He is currently in the USA, promoting his wines. All of them are now respected wine competition judges.
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