Cape Winemakers Guild selects 2013 bursary students
The Cape Winemakers Guild has selected three oenology and viticulture students at Stellenbosch University for its 2013 study bursaries, as part of its ongoing protégé programme. The students are Tsholofelo Segone, Rudger van Wyk and Natasha Williams.
L - R: Natasha Williams, Rudger van Wyk and Tsholofelo Segone
The Cape Winemakers Guild Billy Hofmeyr SETA Bursary Programme pays tribute to the Guild's founding chairman, Billy Hofmeyr, who convened the first Guild meeting at his home on the farm, Welgemeend, in Paarl on 24 August 1982. The bursaries provide students with financial support during their final year of study, after which they can apply to the Guild's three-year protégé programme.
Budding passion
Segone is passionate about making a positive contribution to the wine industry and the science behind the product fascinates her. "I have dreams of becoming an extraordinary winemaker and would like to experiment with different blends and bring something unique to the industry, both locally and internationally."
Van Wyk dreams of one day owning a wine farm and helping students who are not in the financial position to fulfil their dreams. "In South Africa, winemaking is a scarce skill that offers a lot of opportunities. I want to enlighten people from all communities about the wine industry and as a future winemaker encourage the youth to make winemaking their career."
Also with dreams of owning a wine farm, Williams says she would like to one day produce and export her own wine, having grown up amidst the vineyards of Saron. "I strive to be a continuously growing and evolving winemaker. I think it is extremely important to keep the interests of your target market at heart by producing top quality wines especially if you want to make a name for yourself in the industry."
For more information, go to www.capewinemakersguild.com.
