The Platter Guide to South African Wines encourages compact biographies, and here is Ingrid’s: Love of wine and a growing aversion to hospital basements led Ingrid to give up a successful career in nuclear medicine to work first as a vineyard labourer, then as a lecturer and wine writer. Her wine interest took formal shape during more than a decade abroad, where she attained the UK WSET Diploma and, soon after, the Cape WSET Wine Judge certification. An associate of the UK Institute of Wines & Spirits, Ingrid runs an independent wine consultancy, advising some of Africa’s top game lodges.

And top they are. See our CLIENTS page for details. Just to mention how much we love working with them: a prerequisite for working in the bush is an ability to work and live in close quarters with other staff for 40 days and 40 nights on the trot. The upshot is us having to deal with terribly nice people. They do sometimes call our office on Sundays, forgetting it’s the day of rest.

If we love them, they love Thea. She manages all Winewise operations with unmatched efficiency and skill. Her keen interest in wine began when working for Lanchester Wines in the UK, after which she studied to Certificate level through the Cape Wine Academy. Thea keeps her palate tuned by abundant tasting and is currently doing a 2-year course in Business Management - teaching us how it should be done!

Constance is our administrator-in-training. You might hear her dulcet Zimbabwean tones on the phone. One of Mugabe’s earlier successes was education, and Connie, laden with A-levels had to settle with domestic work on arrival in South Africa. We’re expecting her computer and office skills will go from strength to strength. Then we’ll start her on wine!