BLACC STAR Profile: Gregory Mutambe

Cape Town sommelier Gregory Mutambe speaks about progress and inclusion for South Africa’s black wine professionals. (@IshayGovender), for Wine Enthusiast, September 2018

Gregory Mutambe, head sommelier at Cape Town’s luxurious 12 Apostles Hotel & Spa left his homeland Zimbabwe in 2006, during one of its most tumultuous periods. Moved by a growing love for the wine industry, he voraciously pursued further studies in business and wine, and in a handful of years Mutambe worked his way up, first as a sommelier in Johannesburg to the property he currently heads, known to house one of the most comprehensive and exciting local and foreign appellation-driven wine lists in Africa. As the chairman of BLACC (Black Cellar Club), Gregory intends to open up the wine industry to black consumers and professionals making it an empowered, inclusive and more equitable space.

Yours has not been a conventional career path. Tell us more.

I started my career in one of the most unlikely places to be in wine, at Mukuyu Winery in Zim, where there are only two or three wineries still in existence. Compare that to more than 600 in the Cape. I moved to Johannesburg initially and by the time of the Soccer World Cup [2010], I was at the Vineyard Hotel in the Cape, which as a very strong wine program. That was an exciting time with the stream of tourists. At the 12 Apostles, I have a more hands-on role; I helped to put the hotel on the map as a wine destination.

What are some of the challenges you face?

It’s inevitable in this job that you will be undermined, either at a tasting room or by patrons. I’ve been to many events where I look around and I’m the only person of color. That can be discouraging and we know in our industry, many who study winemaking come from the [white] Afrikaner families who own wineries. At times, your wine scoring may come into question. I will use tasting notes I’m familiar with from home. However, with the best judges, you tend to find mutual respect.

How do you view mentorship?

I’m lucky to count [Zimbabwean] winemaker Tariro Masayiti of Springfontein Wineries as one of mine. If you look around and see a person like you doing great things, you feel like you can achieve it too; this person becomes a catalyst for your own dreams. The lack of exposure may discount many of us, but we want to change that. I have a few guys I am mentoring currently at the hotel.

On that note, what are BLACC’s immediate goals?

Because we tend to sell people’s philosophies, it’s important that we support black winemakers, sommeliers, and emerging professionals. BLACC aims to provide holistic support at every step. We want to raise the capital consumption of wine in the black community – there is already a huge spend on premium brandies, cognacs, and single malts. Of an 80 percent black population, if we can get just 10-15 percent buy-in, that’s huge! From my side, I plan to open a wine academy one day.