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The Art of Being a Woman: A Toast to Women Winemakers

17 August 2022

 

In 1956, twenty thousand women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest Apartheid pass book laws. Over sixty years later, we still celebrate how that day transformed South Africa and proved the strength of women in a culture dominated by male authority figures.

Many of these consequences may still be felt today, especially in winemaking. Women winemakers were practically unheard of many years ago. Their absence was as noticeable as that of women pilots, engineers, or even sommeliers. Thankfully, times have changed. Women today hold more senior management roles than ever before, and they are effectively managing their particular wine brands with innovation, resilience, and a pioneering spirit.

From founders to winemakers, we spotlight some of the celebrated and respected South African women in wine this Women’s Month. Warwick is honouring The Art of Being a Woman this Women’s Month.

With a history rooted in female-led pioneering wine development, we’d like to take a moment to recognise some of our country’s excellent female winemakers.

 

Ntsiki Biyela

Aslina Wines

 
“After making wine, it is always good to look at people when they take their first sip and the expression on their faces. That sign of joy is what we strive for at the end of the day.” - Ntsiki Biyela, winemaker and founder of Aslina Wines.
 
Ntsiki’s wine journey began when she received a scholarship from SAA to study winemaking at Stellenbosch University. Her first job as a winemaker was at Stellekaya, where she learnt about all the aspects of the industry and business. Collaborating with American winemakers led her to start her own venture, Aslina Wines. Inspired by the strength and determination of her grandmother, Ntsiki has become one of the most respected winemakers in the world, and Aslina Wines is known for its premium wine selection.

 

 

 

Trizanne Barnard

Trizanne Signature Wines

 

“Diversity is the cornerstone on which I build my winemaking philosophy. This search forunique and new perspectives extends to the sourcing of my grapes. I’m always looking for freshness, uniqueness and contrast.” - Trizanne Barnard, winemaker and founder of Trizanne Signature Wines.

Following her start at the iconic Klein Constantia in 2004 and the creation of Anwilka Wines while there, Trizanne went solo and founded her own wine brand, Trizanne Signature Wines. Today, she resides in Kommetjie and makes her wine down the road in Noordhoek. But it all started when she was working as a volunteer on a kibbutz back in 1997, learning about and working in the agricultural sector for the first time. Among the influential women who have inspired her path in life, she considers her mother as someone who continues to inspire and energise her.

 

 

 

Catherine Marshall

Catherine Marshall Wines

 

“Simply put, my philosophy is all about high-quality wines and a detail-orientated winemaking process. And ultimately continuing to build on my knowledge; constantly improving and adapting.” - Catherine Marshall, winemaker and founder of Catherine Marshall Wines.

After working at various wine farms and realising that she found joy being in the cellar, Catherine applied to go to Elsenburg Agricultural College. A few years later, following her first solo job at Ridgeback Wines, she decided the time was right to pursue her dream, establishing her own eponymous brand, Catherine Marshall Wines, in 2007, and she never looked back. She was instrumental in formalising the ‘Garagiste Movement’ (small-scale winemaking) in South Africa. Today, she happily produces wine in Stellenbosch.

 

 

 

Victoria Brown

Boekenhoutskloof

 

“Being able to create a product that brings people together and that they can enjoy, that’s the best part of my job.” - Victoria Brown, assistant winemaker at Boekenhoutskloof.

For Victoria, it all started in high school when she knew someone who had studied winemaking. She researched it, decided to pursue it and almost immediately fell in love with it. She was selected to partake in the Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé Program, through which she grew personally and as a winemaker. Being so closely connected to nature and travelling to different countries to do harvests showed that she had made the right choice. Her winemaking philosophy? An open mind, attention to detail, and minimal intervention in thecellar.

 

 

 

Jocelyn Hogan

WilsonHogan Wines

 

“Each bottle of wine should be a history lesson of what the vine has experienced during the year of its vintage and its unique story.” - Jocelyn Hogan Wilson, winemaker and co-founder of Hogan Wines.

Growing up on a farm in Mooi River in Natal, Jocelyn’s grandmother was the inspiration for her interest in botany, which later evolved into viticulture and oenology. While in high school, she spent some time with Marc Kent when he was establishing Boekenhoutskloof and was exposed to the concept of taking a plant and encapsulating it in a bottle which captures the climate, the soil and what the vine experienced that vintage. After seven years of working for several vineyards in the Cape and abroad, Jocelyn decided to launch Hogan Wines with her family. She is enthusiastic about ancient vineyards in South Africa. She strives to make delicate, site-specific wines with little intervention and sensitive handling.

 

 

Looking back at trailblazers like our very own Norma Ratcliffe and international icons like MaryAnn Graf and Madeline Triffon, paying homage to the innovators and the pioneers has never been easier. Join us in raising a glass to women in wine.