2016 Kumusha White Blend

Kumusha in the Zimbabwean Shona language translates to 'your home', 'your roots' or 'your origin'. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Tinashe's career in the hospitality industry began as a waiter at the Roundhouse Restaurant in Cape Town, followed by a position as a wine steward at One & Only Cape Town's contemporary Asian restaurant Nobu, where he was soon promoted to sommelier. After receiving the Reaching for Young Stars Best Wine Steward Award in 2013, Tinashe rose to the limelight as the one to watch. His next career was head sommelier at the famous Oyster Box Hotel in Umhlanga, followed by five years at Africa's best restaurant, The Test Kitchen. It was at this acclaimed fine-dining restaurant where the 'wine whisperer' won the Eat Out Wine Service Award in 2016.

After a formidable career in the South African hospitality industry, working at some of Africa's finest hotels and restaurants, respected sommelier Tinashe Nyamudoka was ready for a new beginning. Since moving to Johannesburg, Tinashe - an accomplished master blender - is poised to anchor his own wine brand, Kumusha Wines, in the South African market and beyond.

Tinashe is a wine jury at the Mundus Vini Grand International Wine Awards, Germany, a wine panelist for Wine Of The Month Club, a permanent judge in South Africa, tasting of the Michelangelo awards for wine and spirits, the Chenin Blanc top 10 Challenge and is part of the very select Platter Awards Five Star panel.

Tinashe met Attie Louw from the Opstal estate a few years ago and it has grown into a relationship where he makes the fruit from the Breedekloof Valley wines that he would not only like to drink himself, but has drawn more from his incredible sommelier and gastronomic past. Minimal intervention in winemaking and natural fermentation aims to let the wine "talk" freely

The Kumusha White blend is a Chenin driven wine with Semillion. Given the winemaker's background, this is a very gourmet wine. A very small edition, all hand-picked, fermented with spontaneous fermentation (ie on the naturally present yeasts on the grape) and aged on older oak. The wine is extremely complex and layered, pleasantly dry and savory, with fine (citrus) acids, a nice bite and length. Ripe fruit on the nose. Apple, peach, lemon zest and winter melon that continue on the palate. An integrated rich mouthfeel with a lively long finish.