Protégé programme gets donation of French Oak barrels

Andre Kotze of Cape Cooperage CWG Protege, Elmarie Botes and Kanonkop winemaker Abrie Beeslaar

"We are proud to be a partner in the programme and help these young winemakers fulfil their potential. We'd like to believe that this initiative will help to transform the wine industry one barrel at a time," said André Kotze, MD of Cape Cooperage Group.

The production of the wine forms part of the protégés' three-year internship. Protégés are required to prepare budgets, production plans and marketing proposals for the wines they produce, in order to experience the entire process from the making to selling of a wine. Once they have been bottled, the wines will be offered during some of the Guild's charity auctions and the funds raised will be ploughed back into the programme.

Elmarie Botes, who completed her first year of internship at Steenberg during 2011, has moved on to Kanonkop where she will be learning her craft from winemaker Abrie Beeslaar and make her first wine.

Tamsyn Jeftha and Sacha Claassen, who are both entering their third year of internship, were the first to make their own wines which are still in barrels donated by Cape Cooperage in 2011. Jeftha, who spent last year working closely with Jeff Grier at Villiera, will continue her internship with Carl Schultz at Hartenberg, while Claassen who worked in the Nitida cellar with Bernhard Veller, is now working under the mentorship of Charles Hopkins at De Grendel Wines.

The CWG protégés have the opportunity of learning the art of winemaking from masters of their craft 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.

Students interested in applying for the programme can go to www.capewinemakersguild.com.