Cape Cooperage extends barrel sponsorship to CWG protégés

23 Apr 2014

The current second-year Cape Winemakers Guild (CWG) protégés will again be able to make their own wines, as Cape Cooperage Group has extended its sponsorship of French oak barrels for another three years. Other annual sponsors supporting this initiative are Consol Glass, Amorim Cork and CDS Vintec that donate the bottles, corks and capsules for the protégé wines.

Andre Kotze, Charles Hopkins and Ricardo Cloete

"We are proud to be a partner in the Guild's Protégé Programme by helping these young winemakers fulfil their potential and to see the transformation of the wine industry come to fruition one barrel at a time," says André Kotze, MD of the Cape Cooperage Group.

Three hopeful vintners

This year, three second-year protégés will be making their own wines. Wade Sander will fulfil his dream of crafting his own Pinot Noir from two particular vineyard blocks under the expert guidance of Peter Finlayson of Bouchard Finlayson in the Hemel and Aarde Valley.

Ricardo Cloete who is working alongside Charles Hopkins at De Grendel this year, is making a Pinotage, a personal favourite because of its wonderful aromas, flavours and above all, because it is proudly South African.

Thornton Pillay who is working with Boela Gerber at Groot Constantia has opted for a natural sweet, wooded Muscadel.

The production of their wine forms part of their three-year mentorship programme. Protégés are required to prepare budgets, production plans and marketing proposals for the wines they produce, in order to experience the entire process. The wines will be auctioned during their final internship year at Gala Dinners in Johannesburg and Cape Town and at the Silent Auction, which takes place at the annual Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction. The funds raised are ploughed back into the Protégé Programme to support the development of future winemakers.

For more information, go to www.capewinemakersguild.com.