Top five Sommeliers-in-training make the list for France training

Cape Town – The Western Cape Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the Vineyard Hotel & Spa, as host, interviewed and selected a group of young nominees during the month of July who were hoping to obtain a ticket to France to attend a top Sommelier training course in the wine capital of France – Beaunne in the province of Burgundy.Nominations had been sourced from a number of top-end hotels and restaurants throughout the Western Cape. Five (5) candidates have now been chosen and are: Mortimer Bester of Pezula Resort, Angie Smook of the Cape Grace Hotel, Mawethu Royi of the Cellars-Hohenort Hotel and Michael Blumberg and Beverley Stephens who are both employed at the Vineyard Hotel & Spa.

Roy Davies, general manager of the Vineyard Hotel & Spa commented that he was very proud to have two of his team to be short-listed from applicants from across the province.

sommellier-trainees

Douglas Chitepo, director of Further Education at the Cape Institute for Agricultural Training at Elsenburg, said that candidates were sourced for the training from the hospitality industry, wine estates and cellars across the province and had been through a rigorous selection process ahead of the training in Burgundy.

The successful candidates will be training at the prestigious Centre de Formation Professionelle et de Promotion Agricole de Beaunne (CFPPA), Burgundy. The program is jointly funded by the Department of Agriculture (Western Cape) and the Regional Council of Burgundy, supplemented by a small contribution by the candidate’s employer.

Burgundy is the most important wine region in France and is also known for its quality cheeses. The students will receive practical experience in viticulture as well as wine tasting and food and wine pairing.

The five (5) successful candidates will leave for France on 21 September 2008 and return on 19 October 2008.

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