​The Maties Wine Club (MWC) has become a popular virtual event on the alumni calendar. Wine-tasting events have been held for alumni in Germany, Benelux, France, Switzerland, Sweden and Denmark. Darren Maree, our wine co-ordinator, tells us more.

The exact origin of enjoying fermented grape juice as wine has been disputed and debated by many, but I would wager a decent bottle that our wine ancestors would never have imagined a time where friends – continents and thousands of kilometres apart – could come together, share their stories and taste some delicious wine.

Luckily for us, the origin of the Maties Wine Club can, however, be traced back to a year where necessity was truly the creator of all innovation. Ideas converged and being informally known as “The Wine guy", I suggested a wine-inspired platform for engagement with our alumni in Europe. The MWC is an interactive platform where we can engage with various winemakers and estate owners from the varied wine-producing regions of South Africa.

The link between Stellenbosch University and the wine industry in South Africa goes back more than 100 years. We have, as part of the AgriSciences Faculty, a Department of Viticulture and Oenology which has not only produced many winemakers, but also contributes towards research and innovation in the sector.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a massive blow to the wine industry with many jobs and livelihoods being threatened. Many of our alumni are winemakers or role players in the wine industry and our other alumni, locally and abroad, made frequent reference to how much wine was part of their time at Stellenbosch University – working on wine farms or going on tastings, lunches, dinners or dances on wine estates or membership of the student SU Wine Society. The MWC is our way to encourage fellow Maties and to give them our support.

Having hosted iconic estates, such as Beyerskloof, Babylonstoren, La Motte and Waterford, alumni have shown great interest in exploring the top-quality wines crafted by Alumni winemakers. With memories of wine moments during our student years, we can say "Cheers" to all the wonderful tastings and sharing of fond Stellenbosch memories that are yet to come. Life is indeed a celebration and best enjoyed over a good glass of wine.

Cheers all around:

• Thank you so much again for the great and very entertaining evening last Friday!
• Thanks for setting up the great fun event! What a great idea! We enjoyed it tremendously and are looking forward to the next wine tasting.
• Amazing! Looking forward to it :) Thanks for organising!!
• Thanks for always keeping in touch with us Alumni and creating events for coming together; I appreciate that a lot. And I especially love your idea this time with the wine packages/tasting/donation.
• I just wanted to follow up on the wine tasting from Friday tonight to tell you that my partner and I have absolutely loved it. It was a fun activity and such a welcome change during these monotonous lockdown weeks (and the lucky draw was just the cherry on top!). We would happily participate in these on a monthly basis if we had the chance.

Thank you to our partner, Capreo, for providing the logistical support and for contributing towards the SU Bursary Fund. All the wines showcased in the events can be purchased online at capreo.com.