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http://www.bkwine.com/wine_tours/wine_tours.htm --- An interview
with the winemaker at the Stellenbosch winery Stellekaya, Ntsiki
Biyela. She is one of the very few black women wine makers in South
Africa, perhaps even the first. The...

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http://www.bkwine.com/wine_tours/wine_tours.htm --- An interview
with the winemaker at the Stellenbosch winery Stellekaya, Ntsiki
Biyela. She is one of the very few black women wine makers in South
Africa, perhaps even the first. The winery is close to the town
Stellenbosch which is also the name of the wine region. The
vineyards are quite a bit a way from winery. The name Stellekaya
means home of the stars. Most of the wines are named after
astrological star constellations (Capricorn, Taurus, Scorpio, Orion
etc).

Stellekaya only make red wines: blends and varietals. They have
cabernet sauvignon (called Scorpio), a merlot and a shiraz. They
make several blends: sangiovese, merlot and cs (called Hercules),
Bordeaux style (cs, merlot, cab franc), Cape blend with merlot, cs
and pinotage. Wines often highly rated by John Platter in the
Platter guide. The wines are generally very elegant with a lot of
fruit. Ntsiki Biyela, the wine maker wants to have the fruit
prominent with a lot of freshness.

Ntsiki has been winemaker since 2004. Over the years her wine
making has changed, improved, learning from experience. There are
always changes depending on the vintage but the style with fruit
and elegance remains the same.

Making wine was not originally something that Ntsiki Biyela had
thought of doing. Her first taste of wine was a strange experience:
it was horrible, why would anyone want to drink this, she thought.
She had the opportunity to study viticulture and vinification so
she came to study at the Stellenbosch University on a scholarship.
She has since been named Woman Winemaker of the Year (in 2009).
Ntsiki comes from KwaZulu-Natal where they grow sugar cane, bananas
but no grapes, and where drinking wine is not part of the
traditional culture. Not yet.

More on Stellekaya: http://www.stellekaya.com

Music: Marco Esu, Primo risveglio,
http://www.podsafeaudio.com

By BKWine, http://www.bkwine.com. Interviewer:

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