Wine club's tasting panel becomes more representative
Monday, 27 June, 2005
BE Agency
Cape-based direct wine marketer, the Wine-of-the-Month Club, announces that it has appointed its first black women to its wine tasting panel.
Margaret Fundira, who is an executive at Anchor Yeast and a qualified oenologist, joined the club's distinguished panel of wine gurus as of 1 June this year.
Colin Collard, chairman of the club, said Ms Fundira's appointment is likely to be the first of similar appointments. "Our panel, up
until now, has really been lilly-white. But there is a growing interest in wine from black South Africans. They are drinking more wine and taking a bigger interest in the appreciation of fine wines and it's high time our panel was more representative of the changes taking place in the industry."
The panel regularly tastes - and rates - the wine that is ultimately offered to the club's more than 30 000 regular members.
Panel members include Argus wine columnist David Biggs, Cape Wine Masters Tony Mossop, Irina von Holdt and Christine Rudman, wine course lecturer Claude Felbert, and wine show judges Mike Louw, Buks Nel, Mark Norrish and Colin Collard.
Issued by BE Agency on behalf of The Wine-of-the-Month Club