Wine industry leaders and achievers honoured

South Africa’s wine industry paid tribute to ‘four flag bearers’ at the annual Wine Harvest Commemorative Event, hosted at Groot Constantia recently.

According to a statement issued afterwards, Ken Forrester, known as ‘Mr Chenin’, received the 1659 Award for Visionary Leadership for his work in promoting South African Chenin Blanc.

In 1998, Forrester was one of the founding members of the Chenin Blanc Association of South Africa, with Chenin Blanc being regarded as South Africa’s de facto national white wine.

In addition, the association established Chenin Blanc as the world’s most studied cultivar. This included developing the first multi-language aroma wheel and ploughing R2,1 million into the industry for the upliftment of wine worker communities as part of the Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge.

Rydal Jeftha, CEO and managing director of Koopmanskloof Vineyards, won the Growing Inclusivity award, for “his passion for emerging farmers and winemakers, inspirational leadership, and creating a sense of hope and future for those who may face barriers to entry in the industry”.

An empowerment company, Koopmanskloof was one of the world’s largest Fairtrade exporters, and Jeftha had transformed it from a 100% bulk wine producer for the local market to an international bulk and packaged wine exporter.

Wendy Jonker, administration officer of the Liquor Products

Act, won the award in the Wine Advancement category “for her significant contribution to opening doors for the South African wine industry internationally”, according to the statement.

She represented the South African government in bilateral and multilateral discussions and negotiations as a technical wine expert dealing with the International Organisation of Vine and Wine, the World Wine Trade Group, the Economic Partnership Agreement between Europe and the Southern African Customs Union, and other importing countries.

Dr Erna Blancquaert, lecturer in Grapevine and Wine Sciences at Stellenbosch University, won the Viti- and Viniculture category “for her tireless devotion to empowerment and strong focus on building and supporting a new generation of black researchers, and constructively addressing lingering prejudice in the wine industry and academia”.

In 2015, she became the first black South African to receive a doctorate in viticulture.