2011 News

06/05/11 - THREE NEW CAPE WINE MASTERS GRADUATE

We welcome three new Masters to the Institute, three ladies, one from Gauteng and two from the fairest Cape.
They are Leigh Berrie, Catherine Dillon and Mary-Lou Nash.
Their dissertations covered diverse topics, including genetically modified organisms in the wine industry, waste management as well as garagiste wine-making.
The dissertations are available for perusal on the Cape Wine Academy website and at the SAWIS library.
This year's graduation function was hosted by Lourensford Estate in Somerset West on 6 May.

The new Masters are:

Leigh Berrie

Leigh is a medical scientist specialising in Molecular Virology, and currently employed at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Her dissertation topic reflects her occupational interest and her passion for wine. While studying for her doctorate at the University of Cape Town in 1998, she joined the UCT wine tasting society. On her return to Johannesburg in 2002, she enrolled in the Certificate course with the Cape Wine Academy. In 2004 she began the Diploma course, followed by the Cape Wine Masters? course in 2006. She is an active member of the Wild Yeasts Tasting Club in Johannesburg.
Dissertation: Genetically Modified Organisms in the Wine Industry.

From left to right:Bennie Howard (ICWM Chairman), Leigh Berrie and Marylin Cooper (CWM and CWA Principal).

Catherine Dillon

Catherine was born and raised in Cape Town and completed a BA degree at Stellenbosch University, followed by a teaching diploma at UCT. After a teaching stint at Springfield Convent, she headed overseas, traveling extensively. Deciding that wine knowledge was an imperative for setting up a tourism business, CWA and garagiste wine courses followed. During her CWM studies, she focused her business on wine-specific tours, dealing with knowledgeable clients, journalists, wine clubs and wine makers. She believes that sound training and education of tourist guides and hospitality staff is essential for the further development of wine tourism. She lectures for the CWA on all levels and loves combining her three life passions of education, wine and people.
Dissertation: Waste Management in the Wine Industry.

From left to right:Bennie Howard (ICWM Chairman), Catherine Dillon and Marylin Cooper (CWM and CWA Principal).

Mary-Lou Nash

Mary-Lou is the co-owner, winemaker, viticulturist, tractor driver and marketer at Black Pearl Wines. She received a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, with a major in Anthropology from the University of New Hampshire (USA) in 1989, and then taught English in Japan for two years before going on a three-year world tour. When she joined her father in 1995 on his newly acquired property in South Africa, Rhenosterkop Farm in Agter Paarl, she settled down and started a family. Then in 1998 Black Pearl Wines developed after Mary-Lou planted 4.5 hectares of Shiraz in 1997 and 3 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon. A boutique cellar was established in 2001. Her aim was to produce a limited edition, terroir-driven wine that is drinkable now but with bottle maturation potential. Currently Disneyland is scooping up a large percentage of the few thousand cases produced to serve as wine by the glass in all its white tablecloth restaurants.
Dissertation: Garage Winemaking in South Africa: Less is more!

From left to right:Bennie Howard (ICWM Chairman), Mary-Lou Nash and Marylin Cooper (CWM and CWA Principal).

Group photos

From left to right: Leigh Berrie, Catherine Dillon, Mary-Lou Nash.

From left to right: Bennie Howard (ICWM Chairman), Leigh Berrie, Catherine Dillon, Mary-Lou Nash and Marylin Cooper (CWM and CWA Principal).

From left to right: Leigh Berrie, Catherine Dillon, Mary-Lou Nash, Bennie Howard (ICWM Chairman) and Marylin Cooper (CWM and CWA Principal).