INAS HKE S E N, 33
Red-winemaker: Nederburg Wines
After matriculating in , she began her working life as a proofreader for a printing company in Worcester, but she always planned to move south, setting her heart on a BSC in chemical engineering at Stellenbosch niversity to become a brandy-maker But, as it tends to do, life intervened, and after close to two years in the Cape, it seemed that winemaking would be better suited to Steyn’s personality She’d be working more closely with the elements, getting her hands dirty, being more physically involved from the get-go and tackling each vintage as an entirely new project and this excited her “t’s the anticipation of new challenges, new parameters and new UHVSRQVHV HYHU\ \HDU 7KDW VWDWH RI ˌX[ appeals to me So, in met up with oom Willie van Zijl at lsenburg, and the rest is history ” She went on to make wine for Overhex rivate Cellar, followed by KW and Glenwood ineyards, after graduating in 1 with a Bagric degree in winemaking and viticulture from lsenburg Agricultural Training nstitute in Stellenbosch n
1 , she was offered the job as assistant red-winemaker at Nederburg, catapulting her into the role of this award-winning
aarl winery’s fully-ˌhgjhg red-winemaker
The Western Cape’s climate is similar to that of the editerranean, making it well-suited to growing wine grapes
so it’s no wonder that South Africa is ranked seventh among the biggest wine-producing countries on the planet, according to data by the nternational Organisation of ine and Wine South Africa’s wine industry consists of many sectors, from agriculture and grape growing to winemaking, wine tourism and hospitality
6WH\Q EHOLHYHV WKDW DOO WKHVH IDFWRUV FRQWULEXWH VLJQLˋFDQWO\ to job creation and skills development that ultimately EHQHˋW RXU SHRSOH DQG WKH HFRQRP\ 7KH ZLQH industry in South Africa has traditionally been a male-dominated business, but she is a part of the paradigm shift that is slowly seeing more and more women enrolling for winemaking courses and degree programmes, entering the industry and making a real impact
She says “As a female winemaker, you should be adaptable and innovative t’s important to start from the bottom and not be scared to get your hands dirty ou need to understand and trust the process, while building strong relationships with your team members ”
To take the bounty of nature, work with it and nurture it into something special and delicious is the most invigorating aspect of winemaking for Steyn She believes that people VKRXOG EH KDSS\ LQ WKHLU ZRUN DQG VKH ˋQGV QRWKLQJ PRUH satisfying than witnessing a consumer enjoy a wine that she’s had a hand in making
Asked about her proudest achievement so far, she replies “Being appointed as Nederburg’s new red-winemaker
no doubt ” — Shai Rama
It’s important to start from the bottom and not be scared to get your
hands dirty.