THRIVE: 21 part of four hotel openings in Rwanda, Montenegro and in Dubai. For me the greatest part of all these experiences is the opportunity I have, to make a difference to those around me.” Principal of the Cape Wine Academy, Heidi Duminy was named as the 34th recipient of the STH Golden Circle Alumnus Award. Travelling from Cape Town, she too was present in-person to receive her award. Duminy delighted the audience with her recollections of her days as a student and her journey with wine. At the time the institution was called the Hotel School of the Technikon Witwatersrand “My first real encounter with wine was at Hotel School. I was immediately drawn to the sensory intrigue of the various styles of wine and fell in love with the rich narrative of nature, generational devotion and technical aspects that give every bottle a story. Our lecturer, Mr Pieter Viljoen was a master at enthusing us with evocative food and wine matches and his depth of knowledge and attention to detail were contagious”. Duminy quipped as she spoke about the legendary wine tours. “This is where I made my first starry-eyed connections with the wine community and the people who became my driving inspirations including industry heroes Phyllis Hands, Dave Hughes, Nicky Krone, Hannes Myburgh, Beyers Truter and many others. As anyone who has been smitten by wine knows, the more you learn, the more you need to know, and what makes wine so amenable to education is the wonderful generosity of the people who are passionate about sharing their knowledge and the stories that perpetuate an indelible Cape wine culture and pride”. Both Ferreira and Duminy join a growing list of STH Alumni who have been recognised for their contribution to the sector and for serving as the benchmark against which the new generation of leaders will be developed. The evening concluded with Victor Khangale from UJ Alumni Relations engaging alumni on the broader UJ Alumni platforms available. My first real encounter with wine was at Hotel School. I was immediately drawn to the sensory intrigue of the various styles of wine and fell in love with the rich narrative of nature, generational devotion and technical aspects that give every bottle a story. S T H A L U M N I
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjU1NDYx