South Africa’s first Black female winemaker is ready to take the world by storm with her own line of wines.
Ntsiki Biyela first made headlines in 2014 for becoming the first Black female winemaker in a country and industry occupied by mostly elite white families.
Now, after spending 13 years as head winemaker at a family-owned winery — during which she won the South Africa’s Woman Winemaker of the Year award in 2009 — Biyela has opened her own company: Aslina Wines.
She is scheduled to ship 12,000 of her first bottles to the U.S.A., Germany, Taiwan and Ghana this year, according to Business Insider South Africa.
“When I was working for, or collaborating with other brands, I always knew that at some point I am going to have to start my own company – I also knew that I was going to name it after my late grandmother, Aslina, in her honour,” she said.
Aslina Wines produces sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay and a Bordeaux blend sourced from South Africa’s wine country, according to the Mail & Guardian.
“When the product is finished and you have the wine in a glass, it’s just fulfilling,” she said of the production process, of which she is heavily involved with. “It’s like having a child.”
You can find Aslina Wine distributors here.