Celebrating sommeliers
WIKUS HUMAN: MEET ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S BEST YOUNG WINE FUNDIS
Long nights and hundreds of flash cards pay off for Rosebank beverage expert.
Wikus Human, sommelier at Marble has a long-standing love affair with wine. His first exposure to the world of wine came while working as a waiter at Zest Bistro while studying a BCom tourism at the University of Pretoria. After graduating from university, he spent time working at both Forum Homini and Roos Restaurant at the front desk, as restaurant manager and assistant wine steward.
His path to becoming a sommelier was defined in the moment he disgorged a bottle of Le Lude MCC with Paul Gerber, but his journey to Marble didn’t happen overnight.
While completing his wine and spirit education trust level 3 qualification, he became fascinated with the complexity of wine – not only the fermentation process; but also the geography, climates, soil types, wine laws, permitted grape varieties and finally, the wine. It took many late nights, hundreds of flashcards and a lot of wine tasting for him to pass this level, but for Human, this was the start.
Now, Human claimed the title of South Africa’s Best Young Sommelier 2017. At age 26, he is the head sommelier and beverage manager at Rosebank’s sleek Marble Restaurant.
In terms of white wines, Human loves bubbly or riesling and holds the combination of riesling and pork in high esteem. On the red scale, his preferred varietals include cinsault, pinot noir and cabernet franc, pairing lighter reds with fish and heavier reds with fatty meat dishes.
Dedicated to the discipline, art and love of fine beverages, the South African Sommelier Association and Moët & Chandon aim with this exciting new competition, to support and empower the next generation of sommeliers who share the joy and energy of wine and spirits.
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. Human, Taguzu and Immenkamp displayed overall knowledge of South African and international wines in terms of region, viticulture and vinification, as well as 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.
Becoming a sommelier is only half the journey for Human, the rest is maintaining the learning and keeping abreast with new wines and developments in the industry.
If you want to know what food pairs the best with wine and what the country’s top sommeliers recommend, then don’t miss the Sommeliers Selection wine tastings which take place in Johannesburg and Cape Town in this month and in October. – Citizen reporter