SA wine farm workers embark on quest for French flair
By Wine Atlas, Tuesday 13 September 2005 :: Wine - South-Africa :: #58 :: rss
With cries of 'vive le France' and 'hier kom die Bokke!' 10 Western and Northern Cape wine farm workers this week set-off for the Burgundy wine region in France to receive theoretical and practical education about the Burgundian wine industry, producers of some of the most famous red and white wines in the world.
The two month excursion is part of an exchange programme between the local governments of the Western Cape and Burgundy that annually sees 10 South African wine farm workers visiting France to broaden their horizons and to expose them to a famous wine culture.
According to Charles Erasmus, CEO of the South African Wine Industry Trust (SAWIT) which is responsible for transformation and empowerment in the local wine industry, the experience that these wine farm workers gain during their stint in the heartland of the French wine industry is invaluable.
'It is extraordinary to see how passionate and committed these previously disadvantaged workers are about their respective roles in the wine industry upon their return,' says Erasmus. 'Not only do they gain theoretical and practical insight into the French wine industry at the highest level, but they return with levels of confidence that helps most of them fulfill more important positions on their respective farms.' (...)
Continue reading: news.wine.co.za
