Indian wine lovers with some cricket in them, know about the Benefits organised by the BCCI for select cricketers at the end of their careers not only as a mark of recognition but also to gift them the amount thus collected, but a befitting Benefit planned for Dave Hughes, the veteran South African winemaker, journalist, distiller, author, consultant and judge who has spent almost 60 years in the service of wine industry is perhaps the first one of this kind in the wine world-at least in South Africa
Just as a cricketer
would enjoy a Benefit Year in the twilight of his career, when fans and
supporters can show their gratitude for the role he has played, South Africans
are planning a Benefit for Dave Hughes – author, distiller,
wine maker, wine auctioneer and international wine and spirit judge as he completes 75 years of age, almost 6 decades of
which have been spent in the wine and spirits industry. The contribution he has made to the South
African wine and spirit industry is marked by numerous awards and citation he
has received over the years- many of them international. Above all, he’s a man
who is earned the respect and honour not because he demanded or lobbied for it
but because people give it freely due to his modesty and humility.
I met Dave Hughes, looking very distinguished by his white beard matching his hair-despite his un-matching socks, at Mundusvini wine competition in Germany, 7-8 years ago, where we were fellow judges. Subsequently, I have been meeting him in South Africa a few times and other countries frequently. I found him to be very approachable, soft-spoken and a reservoir of knowledge which he is always willing to share. He would explain to me the very patiently, the stories about the days of Apartheid and Sanctions and how he convinced producers to send their wines for the competitions abroad where they would win many medals and showcase their quality. He told me stories about the KWV-the monopoly co-operative set by the government in 1918 and how it controlled the prices and quantity each producer could produce and how the quality growth got stinted during the 'whites rule'.
Born in the then Rhodesia, he started his
career in the spirits industry in 1956 as a distiller at African Distillers in
1956; he moved to South Africa in 1986 where he was the Operations Manager at
Stellenbosch Farmers Winery, now called Distell. He became a freelancer in
1989. Earlier, in 1979 he found Cape Wine Academy, now the supreme wine education and certification institution of South Africa.
He is a consultant to several wine competitions including the national Veritas Wine Competition, South African Airways and the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) in UK since it started 40 years ago. I got a very candid and instant reply from him when I once asked him what he thought of the wine competitions where we often met for judging, ‘they are primarily to make money for the organisers,’ but quickly adding, ‘of course they must add value to the participating producers in marketing their wines and the consumers in selecting them because the number of samples are generally on the increase over the years.’ He is also the official representative for IWSC in South Africa since the beginning of the competition, he confesses candidly.
Cathy Van Zyl MW is the first residing South African to get the coveted title of Master of Wine,in 2005. She teaches at the Cape Academy and helps edit the annual Platter’s Guide and has known Dave for many years. She is In London to judge IWC and Decanter Award. Pleased with the recognition, she writes from London about Dave."An eloquent and thoughtful taster with an encyclopedic
knowledge, Dave is highly sought after and respected in South Africa and
abroad. Despite a wicked sense of humour, he is never flippant about the
judging task at hand, and always treats the wines he is reviewing with the utmost
respect. He has truly been an asset to the local industry."
Fiona Macdonald is a freelance wine writer involved with the South African wine industry for over two decades. At one of the interviews with Decanter in February 2013 she was asked about her biggest inspiration during her wine career. She had said, ‘Probably my good friend Dave Hughes – he knows so much more about wine than I will ever know, has travelled the world, and rubbed shoulders with the greats. Yet he remains the most down-to-earth, humble and intrinsically good person I know. Ego doesn’t come into wine for him, and he’s incredibly generous with knowledge and insight.’ She has also penned a related article about the Benefit.
Philip van Zyl is the Editor of Platter’s South African Guide, considered the Wine Bible of the Year. He tells me, ‘II'm delighted that Dave has been singled out because for several decades he has been one of the most passionate, eloquent and erudite ambassadors for South African wine (and spirits). Oxford English Dictionary traces the origin of the word "ambassador" to the Latin "ambactus", meaning "servant". To me, "servant" describes Dave's role and attitude perfectly. In an age where everything is about "me", Dave is all about wine - growing, making, judging, promoting, improving but above all appreciating and enjoying it. Though vastly experienced and knowledgeable, Dave is self-effacing and team spirited, as well as generous, courteous and respectful - the perfect gentleman. He's also highly focused and disciplined. When I joined Platter's back in 1998, his encouragement and support gave me, a relative newcomer to the industry, confidence to take on a role much more complex and demanding than I could have imagined. I'm honoured and proud to count him as my mentor, and hope his Benefit Year will help highlight his enormous contribution to South African wine, both locally and on the global stage.’
Dave Hughes Benefit is a befitting tribute
to the man who has spent
decades in servicing the local and international wine industry of South Africa. A legally administered Trust Account has been set up to receive all donations. The first of several fund-raising events planned is a Golf Day at the Stellenbosch Golf Club on 15 May. A host of other events are planned for a year culminating at a gala dinner in 2015 to honour him. These events include intimate and exclusive evenings in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban celebrated with special and unique wines and spirits.
Indian Wine Academy and delWine join several of his well-wishers and admirers in saluting the man who truly deserves the first-of-its-kind Benefit. Cheers, Dave!
A similar article has
also been published in http://www.indianwineacademy.com/item_1_597.aspx
Subhash Arora
President, Indian Wine
Academy
Editor, delWine
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