The 2025 Graduation of new Cape Wine Masters was held at Lanzerac Estate in Stellenbosch
Walking to the Hotel entrance, where the tasting and lunch was held
The tasting in the Foyer area
We could taste all the wines before lunch
Clive Torr CWM chats to Lynne and Stellenbosch University lecturer Erna Blancquaert
Some canapés circulated
The publicists, Jenny McQueen and Yolandi de Wet
Jenny McQueen is retiring and was given a sendoff by the Hotel and the Cape Wine Masters
for many years of loyal and excellent service as publicist for the Institute
De Wet Viljoen, winemaker at Wildekrans, chaired the Pinotage judging panel
The menu
The starter - Quail & waterblommetjie arancini
with blond velouté,
leek ash oil, pickled shimeyi, cucumber, red onion crisp and karoo saffron essence was excellent
Mark Philp CWM, Chair of the Institute of Cape Wine Masters, started the graduation awards
Followed by Lizette Tolken CWG, Chair of the Education Committee of the ICWM
and Human Resources manager at Boekenhoutskloof Winery
Bennie Howard CWM, taking a well-deserved break
Jacques Lombard making history as the first ever blind Cape Wine Master
He started his company Winebrands after he lost his sight at the age of 26
He spoke about his research paper "Biogenic Amines in Wine"
All candidates have to submit a paper on a subject of their choice in the wine industry as part of their diploma
Riaan van der Spuy is cellarmaster at Swartland Winery
The subject of his paper is High-Altitude Viticulture in South Africa
Janine van Zyl, sommelier and international account manager at global wine and spirits social media agency, FirstPour. Why the crutches? She is recovering from a bad fall.
Marketing Wine in a Digital World is the subject of her dissertation
Bradley Wood, a Johannesburg-based specialist urologist in private practice
His subject is The Cape South Coast: Is this South Africa's most favourable terroir for quality Syrah?
He was also awarded the 2025 Villiera sabre by Cathy Grier CWM
for outstanding achievement in the sparkling wine tasting exam,
the Jordan Secateurs "for excellence in viticulture"
presented by Jacques Steyn CWM, MD of Jordan wine estate and Vice Chairman of ICWM
and a special bottle of Kleine Zalze wine for Research Paper Excellence
presented by Carina Gous, GM of Kleine Zalze Wines
Janine Van Zyl received a decanter trophy for Brandy
presented by Fre-Nay Brown, Brand Home Manager at Van Ryn's Brandy Distillery
All the Cape Wine Masters at the event posed for a group photograph
Front L to R - Bennie Howard, Jacques Lombard, Cathy Brewer, Mark Philp, Jacques Steyn, Junel van der Merwe,
Helena Melis, Janine van Zyl
Middle L to R - Ivan Oertle, Mary-Lyn Raath, Leigh Berrie, Greg de Bruyn, Lisha de Villiers, Margie Barker, René Groenewald, Lizette Tolken,
Karen Bloom, Marius Malan
Back L to R - Riaan van der Spuy, Danielle le Roux, Gavin Whittaker, Mary-Lou Nash, Conrad Louw, Wanda Cronjé, Rolene Bauer,
Brendan Butler, Janno Briers-Louw, Clive Torr, Bradley Wood
The main course was a delicious duo of lamb cutlets & braised lamb with potato gratin, cumin roast carrots, baby onions,
tenderstem broccoli and a rich meaty rosemary jus poured over the lamb from a silver pot. Scrumptious.
Bradley Wood used his new Villiera sabre to perform sabrage on a bottle of Steenberg 1692 Pinot noir Cap Classique
and then back for the dessert - Hazelnut and chocolate layer with chocolate praline,
salted caramel, burnt orange, honeycomb and white chocolate mousse
Congratulations, again to executive chef Stephen Fraser for another wonderful meal. Superb dessert to end the event. No there was still quite a lot of wine tasting to do.
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