Tamsyn Jeftha with her mentor Carl Schultz, Hartenberg's winemaker
Hartenberg Wine Estate has added a vibrant new winemaker to its award winning team with the appointment of Tammy Jeftha, the latest Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé to embark on a career in winemaking. Working under Hartenberg cellarmaster, Carl Schultz, this is the first time that a member of the Guild has appointed a protégé as a permanent member of the team.
Tammy, who worked alongside Carl during her final year of the Guild’s mentorship programme, has blossomed into a sassy young winemaker who loves to add her own spin on the wines she works with.
A graduate in Viticulture and Oenology at Stellenbosch University, Tammy recently completed her three year internship through the Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé Programme. As a permanent member of the Hartenberg team, she is now able to pursue her love for red wines and unusual winemaking methods together with Carl, who enjoys a formidable reputation, particularly for his Shiraz.
"The Protégé Programme afforded me the opportunity to work with some of the best winemakers South Africa has to offer. During this time I gained first hand experience in creating two of my favourite wine styles; sparkling wine with Jeff Grier at Villiera and superb Shiraz with my mentor Carl Schultz here at Hartenberg Estate. I would not exchange what I learned form my mentors for anything in the world," says Tammy who grew up in Strand and inherited her love for winemaking from her father.
"It all started when my dad once explained that wine is a continuous value adding process. From the moment you plant the vine through to the final stages of bottling and labelling you are creating something special and adding value, be it to the ground, product or ultimately add the occasion where people can enjoy it. I was hooked immediately!" says Tammy.
After admitting that she secretly enjoys singing in the cellar, Tammy will surely make use of all her talents, especially in Hartenberg’s impressive underground maturation cellar where their red wines are aged for a minimum of four years, allowing them to reach their full potential prior to release.
Tammy’s bubbly personality and natural acumen for marketing will also stand her in good stead at Hartenberg.
Hartenberg Wine Estate is situated on the Bottelary Road off the R304 to Stellenbosch. Open six days a week for tastings, picnic lunches and wetland walks, but cellar tours are by appointment only. Contact Tel: (+27)21-8652541, Email or visit Hartenberg Estate
