Savouring the art of winemaking
Following the completion of her studies she was given the opportunity to work for Waterstone Wines, a winery in Stellenbosch, where she was exposed to viticulturist practice, cellar processing, packaging and bottling.
“There is always an element of surprise in winemaking, which is sometimes exciting and sometimes frustrating,” said Siwela Sweetness Masoga, founder of Siwela Wines in the Western Cape.
What the 30-year-old Masoga from Marulaneng Ga-Mphahlele in Limpopo loves doing most, has allowed her to be able to share her knowledge with regards to wine.
She makes and sells it and also teaches winemaking skills.
Masoga’s journey began after she completed matric at Rekhutjitje High School in Ga-Mphahlele, Limpopo, and studied biotechnology at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. During her second year, she studied fermentation and microbiology. She then continued to study short courses at Stellenbosch University and Cape Wine Academy.
“These are the basics and fundamentals of winemaking. At the time I had little knowledge on what goes into a bottle of wine and that also created the desire to learn more about the industry,” she said.
Following the completion of her studies she was given the opportunity to work for Waterstone Wines, a winery in Stellenbosch, where she was exposed to viticulturist practice, cellar processing, packaging and bottling.
“Upon completion of my internship at the winery, I found it to be a white male, capital dominated and very competitive industry. I then gained more knowledge through the industry, working in the quality-assurance department within wine and spirits for more than four years.”
Having a broader understanding and a growing passion for the industry motivated her enough to venture out on her own and start a business, which has now led to the establishment of Siwela Wines.
Its collection includes red, white, rosé, sparkling and méthode cap classique wines. She is also a huge fan of her red blend; it is an easy drinking red wine that anyone can enjoy.
Masoga said a good vintage comes from a good harvest. As a wine producer, the year’s harvest indicates what kind of vintage one should expect. This is also affected by the location of the vineyard, the climate, the soil, topography, the viticultural techniques and, lastly, the winemaker’s techniques for that particular wine.
In particular she loves working with a Shiraz, also known as Syrah, a dark-skinned grape variety grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce red wine.
She admires Gary Vaynerchuk, who successfully ran a wine business and made great work out of it because he is good at selling. “Anyone can make wine, but not everyone can sell wine. So before we actually think of going into the business, we need to know how we will sell it and to whom.”
Locally born and bred, this winemaker is set to make international headlines with her unique collection and passion.
