Winemakers featured in ‘The Colour of Wine’ documentary discuss the film after the screening, facilitated by Danie Marais PHOTO: Wesley Martin
“What do you know about wine? You’re black!”
These are some of the comments Ntsiki Biyela—one of South Africa’s first black winemakers— says she’s observed in her journey into the wine industry. “I mean, they wouldn’t say that, but you could tell that’s what they meant,” she clarifies.
Biyela’s story is part of Akin Omotoso’s new documentary ‘The Colour of Wine’ which features several other trailblazing black winemakers like Carmen Stevens and Dumisani Mathonsi.
The film explores issues around diversity and barriers to access for people of colour in the South African wine industry. It was screened on Thursday at Pulp Cinema as part of this year’s Woordfees, a visual and performing arts festival in Stellenbosch.
Sharing personal experiences
Stevens and Mathonsi were present after the screening to discuss the film and answer audience questions.
“If you see the movie, you realise how much was kept from people who were not white (sic),” Stevens says.
She describes her struggle to get into Stellenbosch University (SU), after deciding to study wine, “I was refused on three occasions to study, and the reasons they used were that applications weren’t open to persons of colour. Then they said I didn’t have military service and on the third occasion they said I don’t have any agriculture background.” She was later admitted but says she faced many challenges before she graduated.
Mathonsi echoed some of Stevens’ sentiments around difficulties of studying at SU in the early 2000s, but adds he didn’t plan on studying wine: “Winemaking was not even in the top 10 careers I wanted to get into.” He notes that he only came into wine through the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government, where he was offered the opportunity to study winemaking at SU, but notes that he was not able to secure funding for his studies.
Also featured in the documentary is Philip Costandius, a winemaker and consultant with over 30 years experience. He was instrumental in developing the Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé programme, aimed at supporting young winemakers from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Young people and Wine
On giving more opportunities to young people in the wine industry, Veritas young wine writer 2016, Tshepang Molisana says, “I think the way to open up any industry is through experience. People have generally been good to me and given me opportunities, so I try to do the same.”
Molisana adds that if young people prepare, be nice and work hard, “the opportunity will avail itself, but you must be ready to make sacrifices and do the work.”
Tshepang Molisana PHOTO: Facebook
Winemaker and Veritas young wine writer 2014, Sandile Mkhwanazi also talks about making wine more appealing to young people as a career choice, “For a kid to want to be a pilot, the attraction is in flying. So we need to spur an interest in wine first, because that will then bring about questions of career choice.”
He also talks about the importance of using language that is accessible,”I think we should put a bit of effort into learning and communicating in our own languages as the only power we have as South Africans is our diversity. We should let that work to our advantage.”
Sandile Mkhwanazi PHOTO: Facebook