The day of the Champagne Telmont Best Young Sommelier of South Africa competition, held by South African Sommeliers Association (SASA) on Tuesday 4 October, started with nine semi-finalists. Then three finalists were announced:
George, Thembani & Stefan.
The finalists took the stage in front of 50 wine and restaurant industry professionals competing in four tasks Champagne service, a cocktail challenge, a cheese and wine pairing, and oral wine examination.
Thembani Wesley Mpande was victorious! He is currently an assistant sommelier at Marble Restaurant in Johannesburg where the head sommelier is the reigning Best Sommelier of South Africa, Wikus Human. Thembani has been in the industry for three years and his first job was junior sommelier at Saint Restaurant.
Thembani is an ex-professional athlete who fell in love with the world of wine.
"My passion has evolved into an obsession and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.” Thembani is currently completing WSET Level 3 and recently passed the Court of Master Sommeliers Introductory Sommelier certification.
“The entire Champagne Telmont team offer their heartfelt congratulations to Thembani Wesley Mpande. Winning this competition is just the beginning of what I trust will be a brilliant, sustainable future. In the name of Mother Nature!” - Ludovic du Plessis, President of the House of Telmont.
The fabulous Blaauwklippen Vineyards hosted our sommelier competitions for the second year. “As the oldest wine farm in Stellenbosch, it is an honour for us to host the best in their class and celebrate the art of wine enjoyment. Congratulations to the all the contestants, we salute the valuable work you do to bring our wines to tables and wine enthusiasts across the country,” said Ben-Carl Havemann, CEO of Blaauwklippen.
SASA chairperson Spencer Fondaumiere said, "This is a huge moment for SASA. We have put so much energy into building our development structures this term, and this event is the culmination of all that effort. A huge congratulations to Thembani Wesley Mpande. He is a worthy winner, and It is a huge achievement considering that this was the biggest field of candidates we have ever had at a SASA competition. Winning this holds him in good stead to bigger and greater achievements."
The panel of judges:
For more information about upcoming competitions and certifications, visit sommeliers.org.za