2010 winemaker protégés find new cellars

Sacha Claassen and Bernhard Veller

Tamsyn Jeftha, who spent last year working closely with Nicky Versfeld at the Company of Wine People, has moved on to Villiera with Jeff Grier. Sacha Claassen, who spent last year in the cellar at Villiera, is now working under the mentorship of Bernhard Veller in his boutique winery at Nitida.

The protégé programme, launched in 2006, offers young winemakers the opportunity to work side-by-side with some of the country's leading winemakers, who are all members of the Cape Winemakers Guild. Guild members are responsible for mentoring their protégés for a minimum of six months and providing them with essential hands-on skills and experience. The goal of the programme is to bring about transformation in the wine industry by cultivating, nurturing and empowering promising individuals to become winemakers of excellence.

Jeff Grier and Tamsyn Jeftha

"It is a privilege to be able to accept an enthusiastic aspiring winemaker into our midst and to nurture them to make great wines," says longstanding Guild member Bernhard Veller.

Both were also supported by the Guild during their final years of study at the University of Stellenbosch and Elsenburg Agricultural College respectively through the CWG Protégé Bursary Scheme.

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