van Wyk, Sue (AUS)
Title - Company - Location
Contact: susieqoz
Website: CapeWineMasters.
In 1989 Sue van Wyk became South Africa's 17th Wine Master, after writing a research project on Pinotage,
South Africa's only home-bred variety.
Sue has been a judge for the Veritas awards for the past 9 years and Shiraz panel leader in 2001
(Veritas is South Africa’s
biggest bottled wine show and the 3rd largest in the world). She has judged for the annual South African
National Young Wine Show (unbottled wines - tank and barrel samples) for past 4 years and was Shiraz
panel leader in 2001. She is a member of the International Jury at Concours Mondial de Bruxelles
International Wine Competition, Brussels 1997-2001 and a member of the International Jury at Competitions
in Slovenia, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Argentina. Sue has had invitations to Canadian and Puerto
Rican competitions. She has been a member of the International Jury at the Michelangelo International
Wine Awards, Johannesburg 1997-2001 and is a consultant to the organisers of the Michelangelo International
Wine Awards and Jury convenor.
Sue is a free-lance wine writer with monthly features in WINELAND magazine. She was a panel chairman for WineLand tasting features and a core member of SA WINE magazine’s tasting panel and part-time contributor of features and articles. She has also been a regular guest on Cape Talk and Punt Gesels Radio, on wine and travel. Other activities include contribution of wine news articles to www.winenews.co.za - the official website of Wines of South Africa (WOSA), South African correspondent for on-line drinks magazine www. Just-drinks.com - Britian’s largest with 80 000 visitors per month, correspondent for www.worldwinenews.com and wine consultant for House and Leisure magazine, South African correspondent for Perswijn - the influential Dutch Wine Magazine and editor (and sole contributor) of Diners Club Wine Society's monthly newsletter.
Sue is a committee member & South African representative of FIJEV (International Federation of
Wine Writers) and the founder of South African Wine Writers Association in 1999 & current Chairperson.
She was the Public Relations Officer for The Pinotage Association of South Africa 1997 & 1998 and
Media Liaison person for the Absa Bank Top Ten Pinotage Awards 1997 & 1998. Sue judged wine for
the Absa Bank Top Ten Pinotage Awards in 1997, 1998 and 2000. She was also a judge for the
Peter Schultz Memorial Port Trophy in 1999 and 2000.
She has presented South African wines in Athens (Greece) and Vienna (Austria) to invited top
businessmen and guests of the South African Embassies and has presented tastings of South African
wine at Tasting Ex….Press at Vinitaly, Verona, Italy in 2000 & 2001
at the request of the organisers. Sue presented lectures/tastings on the luxury liner Queen
Elizabeth 2 (QE2) in December 2000 from Cape Town to Southampton. She was a member of the screening
panel for South African Airways wine lists for a number of years and is a consultant to a number
of SA’s top estates which includes writing promotional material. She has been on the the tasting
panel of The Oaks Wine Club for over 10 years. She is consultant to restaurants and hotels wishing
to upgrade their wine lists.
Sue was a senior lecturer at the CWA 1987-1996 and senior examiner from 1988-1996. She was course co-ordinator for the Cape Wine Academy 1988-1996.
Sue made her own wine (Chardonnay & Cabernet Sauvignon) at Buitenverwachting in 1999.
Sue's other interests include travel, wine and food with special interest olives and olive oils.
She has visited the wine areas of France, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, New.Zealand, W.Australia,
South Australia, Slovenia, Spain.
Sue holds a Bachelor of Science degree (with Teachers Diploma) from Stellenbosch University.
