Nongcebo “Noni” Langa has steadily climbed the ranks at Delheim Estate over the years, and was the assistant winemaker when Roelof Lotriet was promoted to cellar master earlier this year. Her promotion to winemaker at Delheim marks a milestone in her career.
Noni graduated with an MSc in Oenology at Stellenbosch University, where she was also part of a ground-breaking project on global warming and wildfires.
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- Delheim winemaker Nongcebo Langa
What drew you to study winemaking at Stellenbosch?
I would love to be able to say I have a romantic story of growing up surrounded by endless rows of vines, and that seeing the expression on people’s faces when they shared a bottle of wine made me want to be responsible for that joy and amazement.
However, where I grew up beer is the drink that brings people together. But when I heard that one could travel the world while working, a different country every six months, I was sold. I had no idea what wine was, yet I was determined to break out of the mould and find out, and that led me to study at Stellenbosch University.
While there I learnt that wine is a culture, an art, and that it’s versatile. And I’ve been hooked ever since.
What are some highlights of your career thus far?
I gained an MSc from Stellenbosch University, which was a great stepping stone in my career. I have travelled to one part of the world and will travel to another soon (so the travelling was not a lie).
At the moment, I can safely say the biggest highlight has been being appointed winemaker at Delheim, and I look forward to many more.
You’re currently enrolled in the Business of Wine management course at UCT. What’s the value of further studies for a young winemaker?
Many factors come into play when planning a career path, but I would highly recommend furthering one’s studies because of the skills you obtain. Anyone can seek knowledge, but it takes skill to seek relevant knowledge and apply that in your daily problem solving.
What challenges should be a priority in the wine industry?
The wine industry is multifaceted and is facing challenges as diverse as the society it serves. I’m not an expert, but from my point of view on the production side at Delheim, the main challenge is to come up with solutions that help the industry adapt to climate change. This problem can be seen with highly varied weather patterns which affects the whole production cycle.
On the business side, businesses need to be adaptable in this fast-changing environment where wine is not a fast-paced product.
And for the South African market, I think businesses still need to understand the South African consumer a lot better.
And finally, societal issues that we face around alcoholism pose a great threat to the wine industry and we will have to step up and play a greater role in awareness and alcohol education.
At Delheim, Roelof Lotriet (left) has been promoted to cellarmaster while Nongcebo Langa (right) has been appointed as winemaker.
How can we attract more young people to the industry?
The best way to motivate young people is to entice them with something they would want or which benefits them. So the challenge is to find out what the next generation dreams of and what today’s youth aspire to, and align that with the wine industry offering.
It worked for me! I was curious about the world and the wine industry had an outlet that allowed that curiosity to be fulfilled.
What do you do to relax?
This depends on my mood, really. But more often than not, you’ll find me either with a book or a TV series, or attempting to cook cuisines from around the world.
Watch: Delheim Estate
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