[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Blog Post Section” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||true|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” locked=”off” collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||true|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” custom_padding_tablet=”0px||0px||true|false” custom_padding_phone=”0px||20px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Women’s Month is great because we get to highlight incredible winemakers, who also<\/em> happen to be women. I sat down with seven of them \u2013 I’d have happily spoken to fifteen \u2013 to hear their stories: where they see the industry in ten years, which winemakers they’re rooting for, and the dish they’d pair with a wine from their own portfolio.<\/p>\n I cried, I laughed, I had very important conversations with all of them and, best of all, I came away realising just how much potential is still untapped. That’s crazy exciting.<\/p>\n I spoke to Marelise Niemann<\/strong>, Charla Bosman (Haasbroek)<\/strong>, Mahalia Khotjane<\/strong>, Berene Sauls<\/strong>, Kiara Scott Farmer<\/strong>, Elizma Visser<\/strong>, and Melissa Nelsen<\/strong> \u2013 winemakers at different stages of their journeys, from very different backgrounds. What emerged was a shared conviction: South African wine is at a turning point, and women in leadership are at the forefront of it.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Marelise Niemann” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Winemaker, Momento Wines<\/strong> \u00b7 Known as “The Grenache Queen”<\/p>\n Marelise’s journey started almost 20 years ago. She has specialised in Grenache and is commonly known as “The Grenache Queen”.<\/p>\n “Winemaking itself is for everybody,” she says. Marelise believes relationship-building is directly tied to who drinks your wine \u2013 and that the conversation about women in wine should also focus on who’s in the buying rooms, the import offices, and the restaurant ownership structures, not just who’s in the cellar. I think it leaves us with an interesting thought: there’s still plenty of opportunities for women to grow into positions of power across the business side of wine, not only the winemaking side.<\/p>\n The woman she’s watching most closely right now is Anmar Van Niekerk, Head Winemaker at Gabri\u00eblskloof \u2013 rock solid in the cellar, hands-on, building her own brand, and in Marelise’s words, a “superwoman who doesn’t get nearly enough attention”.<\/p>\n Favourite pairing<\/strong>: Paardeberg Grenache + tuna carpaccio with olive oil and Maldon salt<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nMarelise Niemann: The relationship economy<\/h3>\n
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