First graduate for Guild's protégé programme

The programme, launched in 2006 by the Guild, is bringing about transformation in the wine industry through cultivating and nurturing winemakers from disadvantaged communities to become winemakers of excellence.

Praisy Dlamini, the first woman protégé, is currently in her second phase of the internship programme working as assistant winemaker to David Finlayson of Edgebaston Wines in Stellenbosch. Praisy will start her final year as a protégé in 2010 under the guidance of Pieter Ferreira of Graham Beck Wines, while two new protégés will join the programme in 2010.

Two bursaries

Only final third and fourth year students studying Viticulture and Oenology can apply for the programme and are selected by a specialist panel. During their internship, Guild members are responsible for mentoring their protégés for a minimum of 6 months and providing them with essential hands-on skills and experience.

Also through the programme, two bursaries are offered annually to final year students at either Elsenburg Agriculture College or the University of Stellenbosch. The first bursaries were awarded in 2009 and the Guild has identified two new students at Elsenburg Agricultural College who will receive its support in 2010.

In addition to supporting university education and providing internships, the Nedbank CWG Development Trust has also supported 20 boys through their high school careers at Landbouskool Boland in Paarl, and two girls at Bloemhof Girl's High School in Stellenbosch throughout the years.

Journey's end

“My internship programme has come to a close, yet my quest on finding my own style through the magnitude of information offered by my mentors, predecessors and other winemakers will continue. It was a lifetime experience which I am very grateful for,” said Howard Booysen shortly before embarking on a career in winemaking.

The programme saw Howard working alongside and learning from some of the country's leading winemakers including Carl Schultz at Hartenberg Estate, Bruce Jack at Flagstone, Pieter Ferreira at Graham Beck Wines and Gary Jordan at Jordan Wine Estate. Whilst working for Bruce Jack, Howard was given the opportunity to travel to the US, where he visited the Sonoma Valley in California and assisted with the winemaking process at Ravenswood in Napa Valley.

His last port of call during his internship was at Graham Beck Wines under supervision of winemaker Pieter Ferreira. “Over the period of the CWG Protégé Programme, Howard has been exposed to many aspects. He serves as a role model and we can be proud of him,” said Ferreira.

Howard was the first protégé to embark on the programme after completing his final year of study at Elsenburg Agricultural College in 2006.
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For more information, contact the Guild on Tel: 021 852 0408 or send an email to . Students interested in applying for the Protégé Programme can visit the Guild's website at www.capewinemakersguild.com.