Former Test Kitchen sommelier Tinashe Nyamudoka is on a mission to make wines that everyone can connect with.

Multi-awarded sommelier Tinashe Nyamudoka used the COVID-19 pandemic to make a fresh start, departing his role as Head Sommelier at The Test Kitchen and making the move to Johannesburg to focus on his own wine label, Kumusha.

His formidable career in the South African hospitality industry started in 2008, when he made the move from Zimbabwe. A stint in a bakery preceded a placement at The Roundhouse in Camps Bay – when the wine bug bit and he started on his journey to becoming the continent’s foremost sommelier via Nobu and Maze at the One&Only Cape Town and The Oyster Box in Umhlanga before finally joining Luke Dale-Roberts’ team.

“I’d literally never tasted wine [before starting work at The Roundhouse], but I was fascinated and didn’t know why the other waiters never cared. I figured if I knew more, I could use those skills to upsell and make better tips!” he says. His awakening was started by a sip of Rudera Robusto Chenin Blanc 2006, which he still remembers to this day. He started studying wine with the Cape Wine Academy and found himself struggling to make associations between the aromas and tastes he experienced and the examples in the course “I’d never seen a currant, I’d never seen a blueberry,” he says, speaking to the steep learning curve.

He eventually established Kumusha, outsourcing the production of grapes and winemaking to focus on the blending. As part of educating consumers about his – and other wines – he associates the aromas and tastes of indigenous African fruits with them and connects them to the food he grew up eating. He’s also an executive board member of non-profit organisation the Black Cellar Club (BLACC) and as part of TeamZIM, participating in the World Blind Tasting Championships in 2017 and 2018.

He found himself stuck during lockdown – with The Test Kitchen forced to shutter for the foreseeable future and he wasn’t allowed to make any Kumusha sales – the was, then wasn’t again. “The alcohol ban meant we couldn’t move or sell any wines, however I managed to sell out of my last release as pre-orders,” he says. The move to Johannesburg will see him focus on entrenching the label in the local market, since it already has a growing international following.

Wine for the Future

Luckily, the 2020 harvest wasn’t similarly affected. “There could have been an initial setback, but the government allowed farmers to pick what was left on the vine and by the time lockdown kicked in, most of the grapes were in the cellars already,” he says. In terms of the way the global economy affected consumers’ thinking about wine, Nyamudoka believes that people will still pay a little extra for good quality wine. “The wine quality and taste hasn’t changed – and I think there will be a demand for high-end wines as people want replenish their wine cellars after the lockdown,” he says. The change lies in those replenishment habits – which will lead to a change in consumption habits. “On the back of lockdown, there will be an increase in online purchases and virtual wine tastings on social media sites in the future. I think consumers will be stocking more wines in their homes than ever, in case something major like this happens in future”.

He hopes that people will discover that moving out of the median price range of R40-60 and paying an extra R20-30 for a bottle of wine delivers exponential benefits in terms of quality and variety. “For international buyers of local wines, I hope they appreciate that South African wine quality has never been better. Over the last 10-15 years, vineyards have improved, production techniques perfected and farms are focusing on what’s best for their vineyards,” he says.

“South African wines have a perception problem internationally because the majority of wine exported from SA is bulk wine, which is regarded cheap and of low quality. On the other hand, SA has to compete with other countries like Chile and Argentina who are big suppliers of quality bulk wine, that they produce cheaper. Over the years, a select few wines and wineries have started to gain recognition internationally and these wines are fetching relatively high prices”.

Growing the international appeal of SA Wine

In terms of taking those big names international, Wine Cellar put together the first all-South African investment portfolio, VIP 2015, a couple of years ago, which included producers like Kanonkop, Meerlust, Sadie Familly wines and Alto. “These sold out quickly, and the following year, the VIP 2017 did the same,” he says. The aim is to create a viable secondary market where these Investment Grade wines can be traded – something which the May 2020 Strauss & Co auction continued to build on, as a 4-bottle case of Sadie Family Columella in vintages 2003-2006 selling for nearly R13 000 and a 6-bottle case of the 2008 for just shy of R19 000. “This leads me to believe there’s a growing appetite for these wines and I believe there’s value in them. I have personally invested in the 2 portfolios,” he says.

In terms of the current state of the industry, Tinashe is heartened by the return to favour of Cinsault in single-varietal expressions and blends and says that Chenin Blanc continues to be popular, especially from grapes from certified old vines. “We have an immensely talented generation of young winemakers working at the moment, so there are many to look out for – but keep an eye on Reenen Borman (Boschkloof & Patatsfontein) and Lukas van Loggerenberg (Van Loggerenberg Wines),” he says.

Tinashe’s Top Picks

• The Sixpence range from Opstal Wines is good value for money.
• The Alto Cabernet Sauvignon is the most underrated red wine in SA.
• Former Meerlust winemaker Chris Williams is doing great things with The Foundry – the Grenache Blanc is particularly great.
• The new Kumusha White Blend of Chenin Blanc, Semillon, Rousanne and Viognier is a cracker!