Since its inception in 2020, the Maties Wine Club has connected alumni throughout Europe and South Africa. With our online wine tastings, we were able to come together as friends and family to celebrate the wonderful stories we have about Stellenbosch whilst sharing a delicious glass of Proudly South African wine.
Over the past years, we have been in the company of winemakers from Beyerskloof, La Motte, Babylonstoren, Waterford, Simonsig, Spier, Neethlingshof and Ernie Els Winery not to forget the tasting with the Old Vine Project. We added Kleine Zalze wine estate to our line-up. Acclaimed alumnae winemakers, Lizemari Geldenhuys and Hanri Ferreira, joined us as we celebrated International Women's Day and together, we enjoyed their Cellar Selection, Vineyard Selection and Family Reserve Chenin Blanc and Cabernet.
Wrapping up the year, we travelled back to Stellenbosch and joined Stuart Botha from Tokara wine estate as he took us through the meticulous care that he and his team take into crafting Tokara's wines. With a focus on Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, it is easy to understand why Maties and friends in Europe came out in full force to enjoy these Bordeaux grapes infused with our South African sun.
We would like to take a moment to extend our appreciation and thanks to our longstanding partner in wine, Capreo who has not only ensured that our wine packaging is prepared and shipped ahead of time but has also contributed towards the Stellenbosch University Bursary Fund. Together, we've raised close to 1400 €, helping fellow Maties to overcome financial obstacles and reach their academic goals.
A huge thank you also to our anchors back in South Africa, alumni Darren Maree and Henk Oets, for their commitment and enthusiasm.
We will be kicking off 2024 with famed winemaker and alumna Nongchebo (Noni) Langa from Delheim wine estate. Recently Noni was awarded as the 2023 Diners Club Young Winemaker of the Year – we can't wait for her to share her journey and passion for wine with us. We will close the year with another online tasting in November, but rest assured there will be ample opportunities throughout the year to come together and enjoy a delicious glass of South African wine.
As always, we encourage Maties to invite friends and family to join the merriment of our online wine events. Here's to another splendid year of celebrating South African wine, the charming winelands and our alma mater, Stellenbosch University!
