CWG protégés for 2010

L-R: Nicky Versfeld and Tamsyn Jeftha

“I feel honoured and privileged to have been given this once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Claassen, who starts her journey as protégé at Villiera under the guiding hand of Cellarmaster Jeff Grier. “I want to experience as many different wines to try and understand stylistically what sets them apart. My goal is to never stop learning and be open-minded when making decisions regarding winemaking techniques.”

Jeftha, who also hopes to gain as much experience as possible with wine styles, varietal characteristics, wine and yeast blends, has embarked on her winemaking career at The Company of Wine People's Welmoed Winery under the mentorship of winemaker Nicky Versfeld. “Being a protégé is very exciting. Not only do you get to meet well established winemakers, but you also have the opportunity to learn from them, which for any young winemaker is a great first stepping stone.”

L-R: Jeff Grier and Sacha Claassen

Both were recipients of last year's CWG Protégé Bursary, supported by AGRI-Seta, which provided them with financial support throughout their last year of study. Claassen studied oenology and viticulture at Elsenburg Agricultural College and Jeftha is a University of Stellenbosch graduate,

Students interested in applying for the Protégé Programme can visit the Guild's website at www.capewinemakersguild.com.