Woman winemaker of the
year announced 27 July 2007

An ambassador and role model too

The finalists of the SA Woman Winemaker of the Year competiton need no special pleading: Susan Wessels of Vrede en Lust, Elzette du Preez of De Grendel, Alicia Rechner of Backsberg, Tania Joubert of KWV, Rianie Strydom of Haskell Vineyards, and Ruth Frances-Penfold of Steenberg Vineyards.

What the judges were looking for in this (sometimes controversial) competition was not simply a top-flight winemaker, however. The wanted ‘a woman who will be an ambassador for the South African wine industry, and a role model for all women who are considering a career as a winemaker.’ The winner, it was announced, ‘should be someone who is motivated, professional and shows integrity, energy and initiative in her chosen field in the wine industry.’

Finalists were selected by the judging panel (also all women) through a blind tasting of the wines they submitted. After the women were interviewed, the winner was announced: Susan Wessels, winemaker (for upwards of a year) at Vrede en Lust winery in Paarl. Susan has a B.Sc. in Viticulture and Oenology from Stellenbosch University, and was assistant winemaker at Neethlingshof before joing Vrede en Lust last year. Her prize is an all-expenses paid trip to Bordeaux.

From Mrs Miniver:
My dears, apropos this female winemaker, I have to tell you this. My husband was niggling our youngest yesterday about doing well when she goes to Elsenburg in a year or so (when and if she passes... (what is matric these days?). He was going on about taking care with those lips and nails while working the pump-overs during harvest, and keeping her body nice and trim, so that she too might enter the Woman Winemaker of the Year and stand a chance to be photographed in a nice pose for Landbouweekblad's lusty lads with that curious trophy covered in lipstick.

You see, Henry, who gladly acknowledges his roaming eye, had spoken to an old flame who has been making wine for quite a few years in a well-known let's-not-mention-the-name winery. Admittedly Henry phoned her after a few pre-dinner dops, so I'm not entirely sure that he heard accurately. But he says his old flame (a well-known winemaker for a let's-not-mention-the-name producer), was fed up that she would not stand a chance competing against the company of the 'jong bokkies' or 'stukkies in die kelder'. Also she doesn't fit into her bikini any more. Henry's eye dimmed briefly in memory of the latter, but promptly turned to our youngest, who was interested in seeking fame and fortune in winemaking.

What Henry hadn't reckoned on was Timmy popping into the conversation. Now, I must tell you it wasn't easy, but it is after all the new South Africa and we, Henry and I, have accepted that Timmy is different. And Timmy, who doesn't mind being called 'gay' by his sisters, also likes wine.

‘You realise,’ Timmy said ‘it's all a bunch of old-girls who decide, after asking funny questions. There's no he-men on that panel.’

Instantly Henry got a little nervous about our youngest and her wine-making plans. It was then that Timmy saved the day.

‘I think,' he said ‘I'll ask my pal whether he wouldn't start a black gay winemaker-of-the-year thingy when his dad gets that BEE share in the let's-not-mention-the-name winery. Somewhere in the Helderberg region maybe... ’

From Joan Brits:
The Woman Winemaker of the Year competition was founded with the goal in mind to highlight woman in the wine industry that have the ability to deliver a top quality product. Nowhere is it stipulated that this individual must produce a minimum quantity of wine. Nowhere does it stipulate that the individual must have produced wine for a minimum number of years prior to the competition nor that they must produce wine for a minimum number of years after the competition. The simple deliverable is a top quality product made by the individual and entered into the competition. This wine is a product which carries a certification sticker on the bottle and once produced can not be tampered with in any way in order to manipulate the product into a competition winning form.

At the same time, as is the case with the Miss South Africa competition (which is not called Miss Beautiful South Africa), the competition aims to highlight individuals who contain the whole package. People who can be an ambassador for the competition and industry.

As the Americans say, Enough Already! Good grief, if the South African wine business and all it's stakeholders cannot yet understand the importance of ANY competition and ANY publicity opportunity, then the industry truly is in a sorry state. Is it only in the wine industry that people are so bitchy, because I don't see any similar debates flying around the Business Woman of the Year competition, or the CITI’s Women in ICT Entrepreneur Competition or POWA's Woman's Writing Competition or for that matter the Strong Woman competition.

Susan is obviously a worthy winner and the fact that Alicia now has ‘Sour Grapes’ is perhaps because this is the second time that she made it into the finals and still wasn't able to clinch the title. She may be able to make good wine (otherwise she wouldn't be a finalist), but then perhaps her bitchy comments are proof that, after all, the judges made the right choice. Fact of the matter is, all entrants are made aware that the judgement is not merely on the product and that they will all be put through a rigorous interview process to determine the ambassador. The odd thing is that if this competition was so feminist, why did she enter the second time?

Another interesting feminist counter argument is why would an all woman judging panel (who have survived and succeeded in a male dominated industry) sway from the core wine making importance?

Katrien is quite correct, the aspects outside of winemaking could well be found in any individual (even a prostitute). However, the competition is not prostitute of the year. Its Woman Winemaker of the Year. Although – judging prostitute of the year could be very interesting!!!

I have been watching the development of the Woman Winemaker Award over the past years with interest, from Ivy to Debbie to Eleanor and now Susan. They are all beautiful, competent and talented women who I am proud to look up to as a role model for women in South Africa.

With all the side show antics, sour grapes and mud slinging aside, the competition meant to highlight the individual who could produce a top quality product and who embodies the passion for her product and the industry. For this I applaud Susanne Wessels. Vrede en Lust has struck gold with the choice of wine maker.

Come on people - Stop throwing stones and lift a glass in appreciation for what this farm and the individual have managed to achieve.

From Chris le Roux:
Was it not just beginners luck? It will be interesting to see what happens to this awarded winemaker. Wouldn't surprise me if she's married to some or other wine farm owner (like her father thought) in 5 years time...

From Anel Smit:
So Susan, are you going for winemaker of the year as well?  Why don't you see what happens when you take part in the real thing...
 

From Alicia Rechner:
Joan Brits and company, I am sorry if my comment sounded bitchy. It was not meant to be bitchy, it was more a harsh statement about how I felt, but point taken. I suppose I am really quite sour, both times I entered I made it straight to the finals each time to lose against someone at least five years younger, with a wine that came out of 8 barrels. They should state in the rules that if you are an old bag with exciting wines you should not bother. I think I got it all out of my system now and will move on. Well done Susan and Vrede en Lust! 

From Marilou Marais:
Maybe  the judging should not just be a blind tasting, but the interviews must have judges blind folded.  It would certainly help me if I ever entered for a competition.

Joan Brits:
I can see from the quality of comment that I have obviously been wrong about wine people…. I always thought they were a bit more civilised and enlightened than the rest…but Anel Smit, et al you have proven me wrong.

Everyone knows that the outcome of all the various wine competitions are rarely the same.   And by the way the Diners Club winemaker of the year competition is judged every year on ONE specific varietal…,  so, if you want to be critical, you can argue that whoever wins for instance with a Chenin Blanc, if that is the particular year’s category cannot be referred to as WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR, but must strictly speaking be the Chenin maker of the year… and so we can dissect every single competition.  Why do double gold winners at Veritas not win top honours in other competitions, etc?  Because every competition are judges by different people, with different criteria.

From an outsider’s point of view it is sad that people from an industry with so many problems and challenges can spend so much time ridiculing each other.  I would have thought that any marketing opportunity that would even attract one extra wine consumer, or some attention to the industry would be applauded, not shot down.

By the way, I heard that Susan had two wines in the top ten line up, before the six finalists were chosen, her Sauvignon Blanc was only beaten by a heartbeat by her Viognier.  So this was obviously not just a lucky shot. 

From Norma Ratcliffe:
A few comments from the head Judge of the Women Winemaker of the Year competition.  Many of the comments stated above are very valid. Just remember that the women winemakers were not the finalists in this competition, their wines were the finalists in the competition. These wines were all tasted blind and the wines that were the final top wines were retasted blind to make sure that there were no errors. Susan Wessels had a Viognier and a Sauvignon Blanc in the top 3 wines in this final lineup. Her averagescore for the 2 wines was higher than any other competitor. We then interviewed the women to make sure that there were no other problems with the finalists. We did encounter one that has been clearly stated on this site. One of the winemakers is no longer making wine at all. She, however, was not in the top three. We avoided a tricky situation here by realizing tht we wanted a woman that is currently making wine and can serve as a role model, not someone who has left the industry.

Katrien, you might have a valid point about the number of litres that one has made of that wine to qualify.  It is to be considered. Do you know how many litres of Sauvignon Blanc that Susan made? 

From H  van der Merwe:
Ek lees nou die afgelope week, al die kommentaar wat gelewer word na afloop van die vroue wynmaker van die jaar kompetisie.  Dit verbaas my glad nie dat daar sulke uiteenlopende opinies is oor die uikoms van die kompetisie nie.  Dit is maar altyd die geval wanneer so 'n groot bedryf betrokke is.  Ek dink dat hierdie kompetisie deur 'n groep kundige mense saamgestel en deurgevoer is.  So 'n groep het gewoonlik 'n vasgestelde lys waarvolgens punte verdien word in die kompetisie en die uitslag hang daarvan af.  Dat Susan Wessels hierdie jaar se keuse was, maak dit vir haar die jaar wat sy uitgestaan het deur miskien uitstekende en unieke wyne en dalk goeie antwoorde op die paneel se vrae.  Dit was die regte tyd en die regte plek vir haar.  Dit is maar hoe meeste kompetisies werk.  Ek dink dit is in die algemeen 'n baie positiewe ding dat so 'n jong meisie gewen het, dit wys vir ander jong wynmakers dat daar baie geleenthede is wat ontgin kan word en dat sukses nie aan ouderdom verbind is nie, maar aan jou eie initiatief en ondernemings gees!  Ek hoop daar is elke jaar so baie en uiteenlopende opinies is oor die wenner, want dit beteken dat die titel van vroue wynmaker, hoog op die prys gestel word en as baie belangrik gesien word. 

Geniet jou jaar as titel houer Susan, en mag dit vir jou baie proffesionele sukses bring.  Ek sien sommer al klaar uit na volgende jaar se kompetisie!!

From Carol de Villiers:
Replying to Ms Ratcliffe's comments, just the following:

I think any wine competition is a good idea should it be conducted in a credible manor.  It creates awareness of certain wines that would not have been noticed by the public and as Joan Brits commented, the more wine buyers the better. What I don't understand is why Ms Brits used the Miss SA competition as an example, as the girls are requested to enter pictures of themselves in bikinis and the whole world knows it is actually Miss Beautiful SA. Also, why can a winemaker over 35 hypothetically not enter? Would a 35 year old not be a better representative for the wine industry, rather than a green keen winemaker with limited experience and exposure? 

My suggestion is: Have the Woman Winemaker of the Year competition as – regardless of the fuss made the past two weeks ( and I can't say I disagree) – I doubt that it ever will be cancelled, but have certain guide lines.  The winemaker cannot have a consultant as in the case of this year - Nico Vermeulen actively assisted on making wines on the farm. The batch of wines entered must be a minimum of x000 litres and not a miniature tank of "by chance" good wine. And finally, being awarded as a winemaker of the year you must have a track record of a couple of good seasons.  Before that, the wine can do the talking in any case. (After three good seasons and wine awards, by all means Susan Wessels could have been awarded Winemaker of the Year. But 5 weeks in France, 22 months as assistant winemaker and one harvest with an experienced consultant does not convince me and by the look of it a lot of others as well.

From Marilou Marais:
I reckon it's a fish - as something is very fishy about this contest....

From T van Zyl:
Reply on H vd Merwe. Jy het die woorde so uit my mond geneem Me van der Merwe! Wat 'n sukses vir Susan Wessels! Dit is altyd jammer as mense bitter optree teenoor ander se sukses. Aan almal wat tog so graag ander subtiel afkraak omdat hulle mooi is voel ek jammer voor. Ek dink nie daar is enige kriteria in die kompetisie wat sê jy moet in \'n nommer 8 bikini inpas of dat jy blou oë en blonde hare moet hê nie. Ek drink Susan Wessels se wyn al vandat sy by Neethlingshof haar begin gemaak het en ek kan met eerlikheid sê dat ek nog nooit \'n slegte wyn van haar gedrink het nie. Hulle word net al hoe beter!!! Geluk Susan, mag hierdie eer jou aanspoor om nog beter te wees en dat alle kritiek wat jy ontvang as positief ervaar sal word om jouself net nog meer te verbeter. En daai wat sê jy gaan anyway met \'n ryk boer trou, ophou wyn maak en heeldag by die huis sit... ons met vertroue in jou weet anyway baie beter! Ons getroue Vrede en Lust wyndrinkers is trots op jou en sal jou dophou soos jy naam maak in hierdie kompeterende industrie! Geluk!