Launch of uLutsha Wines by PYDA (Pinotage Youth Development Academy)

The Pinotage Youth Development Academy has made a big difference in the nearly 10 years that it has been training up young enthusiastic students to take their place in the world of wine.  They have offered Wine Tourism courses, Wine courses and more - and have seen more than 480 graduates step out with almost 90% of them have jobs and can be contributing members of society.

Nora Thiel, from Delheim, thought it would be a good idea to offer the PYDA students a block of Pinotage vineyards to make wine from, and so it began!

During COVID some of the graduates went to Delheim, picked, pressed, crushed and made wine... and now they have revealed the first vintage under the label ULUTSHA, meaning YOUTH in isiXhosa. Only 246 bottles were produced and I really urge you to get hold of a bottle - a collectors' item!

Every year from now, a small set of graduates will work with Delheim to produce a new set of wines for their year.

Well done to the uLutsha CEO - Ziyanda Njalo for taking on this project and seeing it through. Now to get it to market!