From helping his mother to sell tomatoes at a busy terminus in Marondera to becoming a World Cup star that is the meteoric rise of Tariro Masayiti. At a time when many Zimbabweans are battling with the thought of just how they are going to watch the World Cup games – because of the debilitating power shortages that the country is facing – Masayiti is preparing to shine during the international tournament.
The Marondera-born father of two is a white wine maker at Nederburgs Paarl winery just outside Cape Town. He has scored a first by being responsible for making two of the three official 2010 World Cup wines.
FIFA contracted Nederburg to make and market a range of wines for the World Cup. The range, on sale till December, comprises three single varietal wines: a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Sauvignon Blanc and a Ros. These are the only wines which will be served at FIFA functions during the World Cup.
Masayiti is responsible for making a Sauvignon Blanc and a Ros and it is these wines that soccer stars such as Brazilian Kaka, Englands Wayne Rooney, Ivory Coasts Didier Drogba and others will be sipping.
The bespectacled Zimbabwean, who likes to be referred to as a black white winemaker or a black man who makes white wines, had every reason to be excited when The Zimbabwean spoke to him this week.
Its still something of a novelty in the South African wine industry to encounter black winemakers, he says. Getting this job ranks as one of the all-time high points in my life.
His journey into wine started in the 1990s, while working as a laboratory analyst at Mukuyu Winery Marondera, 70 km south-east of Harare.
We were producing around 2 million litres a year, which is a huge surprise to most people, as few even know Zimbabwe has any wine industry to speak of. If truth be told, wine is not really a part of indigenous Zimbabwean culture but it didnt take me long to develop an interest and one of my colleagues, a New Zealander, encouraged me to start thinking of becoming a winemaker myself. So I changed direction, becoming a trainee winemaker, said Masayiti.
He studied viticulture (grape farming) and oenology (the art of making wine) at Stellenbosch University.
I needed that time to acclimatise to a new culture and to learn enough Afrikaans to follow the course content, he said.
After his studies he worked in Stellenbosch before moving to Nederburg in 2005 to join renowned cellar-master Razvan Macici and take on the substantial portfolio of white wines. These include special-edition wines made exclusively for the annual Nederburg Auction and the white wines in the winerys two connoisseur collections Ingenuity and Manor House, as well as in the highly accessible Winemasters Reserve and Foundation ranges.
His special professional career is highlighted by his five-star ranking in the 2009 Platters South African Wine Guide for the flagship Ingenuity White, a blend of eight varieties.
But what qualities does one have to possess to make it as a wine maker? There are no shortcuts to winemaking. Patience and timing are crucial. Timing, in particular, will determine the outcome of the wine. Thats why its critical to maintain a perspective by leading a full life, said Masayiti who lists Sauvignon Blanc variety as one of his favourite.
It was the first wine I learned to enjoy and it was also the first I could readily identify in a blind tasting. But more than that, it is the one way to express most clearly its origins. I admire its purity of fruit expression in aroma and taste. I love its freshness of flavour and crispness. It is the perfect wine for the South African climate and the World Cup.
Post published in: News