Snyman, Caroline
Business Director: Spirits - Distell SA
Contact: Caroline
Website: CapeWineMasters.
Caroline is currently the Business Director: Spirits at Distell. In this position her key responsibility is to ensure the sustainability and profitability of Distell’s spirits interests. Prior to filling this position in 2004, she was employed in Distell’s Spirits Production division as Technical Manager. She is currently also the Chairman of the South African Brandy Foundation.
Much of Caroline’s academic training centres around production and in particular brandy. She has a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Stellenbosch as well as an Msc and a PhD in Wine Biotechnology. The topic of her masters thesis was “The breeding of yeasts for enhanced brandy aroma”. Her PhD focussed on understanding the influence of base wine composition and wood maturation on the style and quality of South African brandy.
Caroline obtained her Cape Wine Masters diploma in 2004. Her thesis topic was “Mediterranen Grape varieties in the New World.” This topic was of particular interest to her in lieu of the growing interest and emergence of Rhone style wines in warmer grape growing regions of the world.
She is married to Coenie Snyman, who is winemaker at Rust en Vrede. Their hobbies and interests therefore naturally include a love for exploring wine regions of the world and a taste for fine food. Her other great passion in life is horses.
