The Stellenbosch Wine Route will soon embark on an inaugural educational programme to give sommeliers and hospitality professionals a common language to describe its terroir, ensuring that they can effectively communicate the district’s unique wine story.
“There are so many wine brands,” says Thomas Webb of Thelema Mountain Vineyards. “We need to do everything we can to promote our wines. And our terroir is the most obvious one. It’s important to look at the wards of Stellenbosch and promote them. The more we look at the smaller level, the more we push up the whole region and country. Now is definitely the time for specialisation.”
The Stellenbosch Wine Routes Sommelier Bootcamp will be a five-day intensive course featuring both online and practical immersion. Participants will have to complete the practical assessment to be awarded their Stellenbosch ambassador’s pin.
The bootcamp will be based on the educational Stellenbosch terroir toolkit that was released earlier this year. It includes aspects such as viticulture, tutored technical tastings, and site visits with producers and experts. Topics covered will include the history of Stellenbosch, terroir on a microclimate level and its influence on specific expressions of Stellenbosch grown varietals.
The dates for the bootcamp are as follows:
Bootcamp Cohort 1:
September 10 online, September 14-17, 2022 in Stellenbosch
Application deadline: September 2, 2022
Bootcamp Cohort 2:
November 19 online, November 23-26, 2022 in Stellenbosch
Application deadline: November 7, 2022
Apply at somm.wineroute.co.za to attend the Stellenbosch Wine Routes Sommelier Bootcamp.
