Young PYDA Graduates Announce The Launch Of The Their Wine Brand Called uLutsha
Young PYDA Graduates Announce The Launch Of The Their Wine Brand Called uLutsha. The all new uLutsha wine brand was officially launched on 24 February at a celebratory event at Delheim Estate. It is the culmination of what started as a learning project and has now become the development of a brand by a team of young PYDA (Pinotage Youth Development Academy) graduates, the first of its kind.
Ulutsha is a isiXhosa word for “the youth” and it is fitting that it was developed by a group of young, passionate wine graduates and aspiring business people. During 2021, the iconic Stellenbosch estate partnered with PYDA to enable PYDA graduates to create their own wine product, start to finish. Commencing with that year’s harvest, the group of 9 from PYDA got a basic introduction from business plans to harvest, vinification, maturation and eventual own-brand wine release. Lockdown resulted in less exposure to actual winemaking, so the concept was born to provide a comprehensive understanding of the wine value chain and to get graduates hands-on in the industry.
The project is part of a long-term initiative that will see graduates create a commercial product from one barrel per year. Ziyanda Njalo, one of the original 9, who has co-ordinated the project on a fulltime basis said in a statement, “Choosing to continue with the uLutsha Wine Project has expanded my knowledge and skills of the wine business. My confidence has grown and I have a deeper appreciation of the work and people it takes to produce a bottle of wine.”
She continued to say, “In the uLutsha Wine Project everyone that I have met has taught me that you must know your “whys” and always have a plan. Ulutsha is a wine brand that inspires young people who want to create their own brands and be employers of tomorrow.”
