Marble's Wikus Human named the 2017 Best Young Sommelier

Having graduated with a BCom in tourism, his passion for fine wine was ignited in the course of a wine tasting at the boutique hotel where he worked.

Human has been improving his skills and educating his palate at the Marble Restaurant. In terms of white wines, Human prefers bubbly or Riesling and holds the combination of Riesling and pork in high esteem.

Regarding red, his preferred varietals include Cinsault, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc and he favours pairing lighter reds with fish and heavier reds with fatty meat dishes.

By claiming the title of Best Young Sommelier, Human has secured a place in the SASA sommelier course level two, which is presented by the Sommelier Academy, as well as the opportunity to compete in the Moët & Chandon Best Sommelier South Africa challenge in 2018.

Ushering in the new generation of sommeliers

SASA along with Moët & Chandon aim to support and empower the next generation of professional sommeliers with the competition.

Human and runners-up Pardon Taguzu of Aubergine Restaurant and Isabella Immenkamp of SOMM endured four rounds of rigorous theoretical tests and were judged by an expert panel on their ability to taste and identify spirits as well as standard service tasks, such as decanting service or sparkling wine service.

Human, Taguzu, and Immenkamp displayed good overall wine knowledge of South African and international wines in terms of region, viticulture and vinification, as well as knowledge of beers, ciders, spirits, water, coffee and tea.

Questions included topics such as wine styles, regions of origin and terminology, wine label information, wine regulations, wine storage. Competitors were also tested on social skills as well as their ability to interact with the patron.