‘IN THE SPOTLIGHT’: THE STAGE IS SET FOR WOMEN’S MONTH
“Just because it’s made by a woman, doesn’t mean it’s good.” This was more or less a comment I got from someone when talking about our very own Ntsiki Biyela from Aslina wines and her story as the first female black winemaker in South Africa. Conversely, the same could be said about men, however the discussion points we must at times bring up are not just around all the great achievements women have made in the past few decades, and specifically in wine, but quite simply the sheer magnitude and significance of having ANY female pioneers in a field which for centuries was dictated by men.
Yes indeed, just because a female may have broken into a certain field and made history, does not make her an instant success, but it is rather a sign of success to have even had the courage and talent to go up against the prejudices of ‘women cannot do things the same way men can’.
As a matter of fact, Ntsiki’s wines are exceptional, although that is also a subjective opinion and one aspect one needs to remember in wine in general is that every palate differs, and therefore not everyone will enjoy a wine the same way, as highly acclaimed as it might be.
I am simply here to pose the question: What does the evolution of female winemakers in South Africa mean to you? Perhaps it inspires individuals to pursue a career in wine, perhaps it resonates with a few in other fields previously, and most likely still, dominated by men, possibly it opens up a general conversation of how far we have come, but how very far we still have to go. Especially when one looks at how some countries (you know who I mean) seem to be going backwards in time and affording women less rights.
For some it might be intimidating even to look at the accomplishments of Ntsiki and how she broke the barriers for women and particularly women of colour in South Africa. Perhaps for some a story such as Janey Muller’s, founder at Lemberg wines, and female pioneer in the Swartland region in the early 1990s, is one that resonates slightly more, and makes a breakthrough of their own slightly more realistic. Lemberg incidentally has followed the tradition and currently has Anri Botha as their winemaker, continuing the legacy and making stunning wines.
At the end of the day, all we want to do is afford anyone who sets out to break stigma’s, prejudices, injustice and even rules and overcomes obstacles, the credit and validation they deserve. Let’s create the stage for them to shine, and raise an extra glass or two this month, maybe with the Lemberg Harslevelu or the Aslina Umsasane, to the women specifically who have done such significant work to change the face of wine in South Africa.
- Julia
- July 31, 2023
- 5:23 pm
Keep up to Date on our Socials
related stories
‘In the Spotlight’: Pinotage – Yay or Nay?
With Pinotage day being tomorrow, we wanted to take this opportunity to delve into a the story of our proudly South African Pinotage grape varietal.