Meet South Africa's First Black Female Winemaker

"Founded in 2016 by award-winning winemaker Ntsiki Biyela and named for her grandmother, this boutique wine label blends Zulu culture with Old World winemaking. The branding references the calabash (a traditional clay drinking vessel) repurposed with grapes, and the range currently includes five distinct wines, the most emblematic being Umsasane — a Bordeaux-style blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit verdot inspired by the acacia tree and the founder’s grandmother. The wines emphasize quality, authenticity and consistency, with an approach that lets terroir speak for itself; tasting notes highlight soft tannins, prominent fruit, earthy hints and a long-lasting aroma. The founder intentionally makes wines that resonate with local food traditions (pairing with dishes like chicken curry, dumplings and chakalaka), experiments with techniques such as skin-fermented chenin, and seeks to make wine more accessible by shifting pairing and tasting language away from strictly European conventions." - Melanie van Zyl Melanie van Zyl Melanie van Zyl’s stories aim to respectfully uplift the voices of the African continent. A conservation-curious journalist, she has photographed and written about Namibia, Mauritius, Botswana, Zanzibar, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Uganda, and her home country of South Africa for almost a decade. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines