Solano Cellars
Friday, February 27th
5-8pm
6 Wines for $25 ($15 for Club Members)
For decades, the South African wine industry prioritized volume over quality, and was reflective of the deeply fractured, discriminitory social structures that persisted well into the post-Apartheid era. Now, winemakers like Ntsiki Biyela and Tinashe Nyamudoka have shifted the culture of winemaking in the country to focus on small production, varietally expressive wines that, most importantly, tell the stories of the people who have lived on the land for generations. After studying in Tuscany and Bordeaux, Biyela became the first black female winemaker in South Africa in 2004 before launching her own label, Aslina, in 2016. Nyamudoka moved to Cape Town from his native Zimbabwe to get his start in fine dining; there, he became an influential sommelier before starting Kumusha ("“home” in the Shona language) in 2017. They represent a new era of South African wine: bold storytelling through wines that elicit emotion and experience.