Ntsiki Biyela, the First Black Woman Winemaker of South Africa Meet Ntsiki Biyela, the first black woman winemaker of South Africa! Her mother was a maid in Durban who saw her daughter maybe once a year. She shared her amazing journey with African Farming. Ntsiki Biyela, recipient of the diversity and transformation award. Ntsiki Biyela. Q&A with Ntsiki Biyela. It is also a long way from where the wine vine grows in the Western Cape. Add to Calendar 2021-02-20 21:00:00 2021-02-20 22:00:00 Europe/London Virtual Wine Tasting Event with with South Africa’s first black female winemaker, Ntsiki Biyela Link: 2021-02-20 21:00:00 2021-02-20 22:00:00 Europe/London Virtual Wine Tasting Event with with South Africa’s first black female winemaker, Ntsiki Biyela Link: Ntsiki Biyela, recipient of the Diversity and Transformation Award. ntsiki biyela She grew up herding cattle and milking cows in a remote rural village in the Ugu district of KwaZulu-Natal. For any inquiries, contact Razelle Galant at razelle@agriexpo.co.za or 021 975 4440. Volunteer. She is a B Sc. From the money, the funds that we made; I start ed Aslina wines. Ntsiki Biyela is a trail-blazer in many ways. Aslina Wines. In 2009, she was named South Africa's Woman Winemaker of the Year. When Ntsiki Biyela left home in rural South Africa in the late 1990s she had never tried wine. But I'm from South Africa, Kwazulu-Natal, which is one of the provinces more northeast of South Africa but more inland and from the rural areas of Kwazulu-Natal. In 1998, Ntsiki Biyela, who had never even tasted wine, was awarded a wine making scholarship by South African Airways. Despite never having drunk wine, she was offered a university bursary to study oenology and is now resident winemaker at Stellekaya Wines. Aslina Wines - Getting To Know South Africa’s First Black Female Winemaker, Ntsiki Biyela. Award-winning pioneer winemaker Ntsiki Biyela from Stellenbosch received the Diversity and Transformation Award. Ntsiki Biyela: Sure. Ntsiki Biyela is on Facebook. See exports to Usa Wine Imports. Contact Us. Podcast. After Matric, she worked as a domestic worker before receiving a scholarship to study at Stellenbosch University, where she obtained a BSc in Agriculture (Viticulture and Oenology) in 2003. After taking the helm of Stellekaya Wines in 2004, she became South Africa’s first Black female winemaker. Winemaker: Ntsiki Biyela. Oenology graduate from Stellenbosch University and was an SAA bursar after excelling at science in high school in Zululand. Ntsiki Biyela is assisted by well known consultant Mark Carmichael-Green of Winning Wines. Ntsiki Biyela fits well into that latter category. 196 talking about this. Launched in 2016, Aslina Wines is named after Ntsiki’s grandmother who inspired her to be a visionary, with a laser focus on success. US Customs Records Notifications available for Ntsiki Biyela Wines, a supplier based in South Africa. Facebook: @beyerskloof @beyers.truter. Blog. Well, if you’re Kwa-Zulu Natal-born Ntsiki Biyela (En-tee-kee Bee-ye-la), you successfully attend University of Stellenbosch, learn Afrikaans, the regional dialect, and emerge as South Africa’s first black female winemaker. The Chardonnay is a pale straw color and full of lush yellow fruit with minerality and brilliant acidity. I never know where to start when I have to talk about myself. Biyela grew up in Mahlabathini, KwaZulu-Natal. Ntsiki Biyela is assisted by well known consultant Mark Carmichael-Green of Winning Wines. As a bright school leaver, she did domestic work and knew nothing about wine – today she is an internationally renowned achiever in this industry. Aslina Wines is the realization of a dream by Ntsiki Biyela, an award-winning winemaker, who is in fact the first black woman winemaker in South Africa. (Pieter Bauermeister, AFP) SA’s first black woman-owned winery, Aslina, will ship 12,000 bottles to the USA, Germany, Taiwan, and Ghana this year. Classic Cab aromas of cassis, juicy black plum, and cigar box leap from the glass. Winemaker and owner of Aslina Wines, Ntsiki Biyela gestures as she talks about her process at the Koelenhof Winery where she produces her wine. I never know where to start when I have to talk about myself. Her wines have won medals and critical acclaim, and established a growing following internationally – not bad for someone who arrived to study viticulture, having never tasted wine. Ntsiki (pronounced n-SEE-kee) is short for Nontsikelelo. Her new label, Aslina, is named in honor of her grandmother. Join Facebook to connect with Ntsiki Biyela and others you may know. Ntsiki Biyela is South Africa's first Zulu winemaker. More than a decade ago, she became South Africa’s first black female master wine maker. After matriculating, she worked as a domestic worker before receiving a scholarship to study at Stellenbosch University, where she obtained a BSc in … She grew up in Mahlabathini, a rural village in Kwa Zulu-Natal, where she matriculated from high school in 1996. Ntsiki Biyela (born 1978) is a South African winemaker and businesswoman who runs Aslina wines. Join the conversation with #sawineharvest2021. Contact. In 2016, she established her own label, Aslina Wines . We did our first collaboration and then we did a second collaboration in 2013, which was released in 2015. It all began with a life changing recruitment and scholarship from SAA to study winemaking at Stellenbosch University. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number ... Stores and prices for '2018 Aslina Wines Cabernet Sauvignon' | prices, stores, tasting notes and market data. Cabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. The criteria for this award include paving the way for others by eliminating barriers; setting an example and inspiring others; contributing to knowledge that others can use; and having an overall influence on the image of the South African wine industry. Never in her wildest dreams could Ntsiki Biyela ever have imagined that she would one day make history by becoming South Africa’s first black female winemaker. Twitter: @beyerskloof @BeyersTruter. They make several blends: sangiovese, merlot and cs (called Hercules), Bordeaux style (cs, merlot, cab franc), Cape blend with merlot, cs and pinotage. At just 42 years old, Ntsiki Biyela is already regarded as a legend in her field. About: Ntsiki Biyela is the Winemaker and Director of Aslina Wines, a company named in honour of her late grandmother, Aslina. NTSIKI BIYELA: I think as a woman in the industry and also as the winemaker of Stellekaya, there has been enormous growth for me. Biyela grew up in Mahlabathini, Kwazulu-Natal. Read … Previously, she was head winemaker at Stellekaya Wines, where Biyela became the first black female winemaker in South Africa. Aslina is the name of Ntsiki’s grandmother, whose care and guidance gave her the inspiration to succeed in life and in business. This sustainably-farmed Cabernet Sauvignon is produced by Ntsiki Biyela, South Africa’s first black female winemaker who continues to pioneer the way for women around her. Ms. Biyela, now … I grew up w ith my grandmother, she … They have cabernet sauvignon (called Scorpio), a merlot and a shiraz. Ntsiki Biyela. The company is named after my late grandmother. Ntsiki Biyela is the first female black winemaker in South Africa. Tell us how your company Aslina Wines came to be. She is a highly awarded winemaker, and in September 2017 was named among the Most Innovative Women in Food & Drink, by a joint effort of Food & Wine Magazine with Fortune Magazine.. Aslina is the name of her late grandmother who was, and remains, her inspiration. Mark has worked with well known brands such as Zonnebloem and Simonsig in his early career and now provides valuable input to small specialist cellars. Diversity and Transformation. Social media . Aslina is a wine company owned by Ntsiki Biyela, the first black woman winemaker in South Africa. Stellekaya only make red wines: blends and varietals. After that system was swept away at the end of the 20th century, Ntsiki Biyela became South Africa’s first Black female winemaker. South Africa’s first black female winemaker and 2009 Woman Winemaker of the Year Ntsiki Biyela is not only a pioneer but also an inspiration. Growing up in a village in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Ntsiki excelled at science but knew nothing of wine, which wasn’t drunk in the family home. Aslina is a wine company owned by Ntsiki Biyela who is the first black women winemaker in South Africa. Winemaker Ntsiki Biyela has an incredible history as the first female black winemaker in South Africa. In 1998, Ntsiki Biyela won a scholarship to study wine making. Ntsiki Biyela, winemaker at Stellekaya. The day of our interview, Biyela had already been up since 4:30 AM. Twitter: @AslinaWines @Ntsiki_Biyela. If Ntsiki Biyela were a wine, my guess is the tasting notes would include some of the following: profound, unexpected, a complex varietal filled with promise, distinctive gout de terroir (flavor of the soil), excellent longevity, deliciously bold, creates a lasting impression, substantial flavor offset by surprising delicacy. From humble beginnings in the Kwa-Zulu Natal Ntsiki Biyela has smashed through the glass ceiling in the traditionally male dominated industry. Instagram: @beyerskloof Facebook: @AslinaWines @ntsiki.biyela1. Now she's about to launch her own brand. Growing up in Mahlabathini, you’ve mentioned that you never dreamt of being a winemaker.