Cape Dreams News from in and around the Cape
HERMAN GIBBS
Cape Town – It is said ‘adversity makes strange bedfellows.’
Two years ago, Covid-19 triggered the start of many months of hard lockdowns and the wine industry suffered a succession of crippling knocks.
The challenges thrown down by the pandemic in the face of adversity called for innovation and survival measures. Soon it was ‘all hands on deck’ – just like at harvest time when the wine industry looked to rally support from improbable sources.
The result was that long-time wine industry sponsors Nedbank, the Cape Winemakers Guild, and five of their protégés, together with music composers, and neuroscientists combined forces to breathe life into the withering industry.
It was then that ‘Tasting Notes, A Story of Sound and Wine’, the ultimate wine-tasting experience came into being.
“Over the past year, the South African wine industry has gone through significant challenges due to Covid-19. So
“Nedbank, as a long-term supporter of wine, together with the Cape Winemakers Guild, set out to transform the way people see wine through music,’ said Khensani Nobanda, Nedbank Group Executive for Marketing and Corporate Affairs.
“Music is a universal language, and the right wine can make any experience more pleasurable.
“We all know wine pairs with food, but could we tap into our collective love of music and create a literal wine-and-music pairing to achieve our goal of opening up wine to new audiences?”
What followed was a marriage of cabernet and cabaret as wine and music formed an alliance to enhance the tasting notes of the wine.
For the research project Cabernet Sauvignon, one of the most available and recognised grape varietals the world over, was chosen.
“Tasting Notes represents the inclusivity and innovation of Nedbank, the Cape Winemakers Guild and the Protégé Programme,” said Andrea Mullineux, Cape Winemakers Guild member, co-owner and winemaker of Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines, based in Franschoek, the Food and Wine Capital of South Africa.
“Together, we have reimagined a new way to connect people with wine through music on both scientific and oenological levels, whilst appealing to those who appreciate the passionate artistry behind wine.”
In what was a world first, an elaborate plan was devised for wine tasting with explicitly chosen music that pairs with Cabernet Sauvignon. The key was to scientifically use music notes to enhance tasting notes.
Five protégés from the Cape Winemakers Guild and guests participated in the pilot venture.
The participants were fitted with electroencephalogram (EEG) headsets which measured emotional responses during various rounds of sensory wine-tasting experiences. The EEG headset is a wearable device for electroencephalography, a monitoring method to record the brain’s electrical activity.
An essential part of the scientific process was translating a Cabernet Sauvignon’s tasting map into an instrumentation map. As a result, the emotional responses during various rounds of sensory wine-tasting could be measured.
The consensus was that the right music makes wine taste better, and therefore enhances consumption.
Profiles of two protégés
Victoria Davis
Boekenhoutskloof, final-year Protégé
Victoria was first introduced to winemaking as a 16-year-old, and she quickly realised that it was a natural fit. She spent her first year on the Protégé Programme at DeMorgenzon, then went to Glenelly and finally ended up at Boekenhoutskloof where she has recently joined the team as a junior winemaker.
Her protégé wine was a Chardonnay. She loves to travel, and experience different wine cultures. She wants to become an ambassador for change in the wine industry.
Thabile Cele
Mullineux & Leeu, second year Protégé
Thabile became interested in winemaking because it combines two things that she’s passionate about, chemistry and nature. She started the Protégé Programme at Hartenberg Estate before joining Mullineux & Leeu, where she will be staying for the 2022 season to be mentored by Andrea Mullineux.
When she graduates from the Protégé Programme in 2022 she would like to travel and experience wine from different regions before starting her range.
Captions: Protégés Victoria Davis and Thabile Cele brought experience to the pilot project. Picture: Supplied
Peter Langa, a guest listens to music while sipping away at a Cabernet. Picture: Supplied
