REFEREES

Trained in food & beverage operations as well as oenology, beverage science and Sommelier skills and has worked at various hotels in Mauritius before moving to South Africa in 2003.

Besides his day to day responsibilities within Southern Sun to create a world class wine and beverage experience, as well as developing a wine standards working alongside our Executive Chefs, Food and Beverage Managers and their respective teams to enhance the overall dining experience in our restaurants throughout the group.”

Miguel is also active on the wine judging scene, being a judge taster for the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show, Santam Classic Wine Trophy, Wine magazine and a writer and taster for Platter South African Wine Guide 2010 and the long-time tasting co-ordinator for the Swiss Airlines International Wine Awards.

Certified by the Court of Master Sommeliers, he was a finalist and represented South Africa at the world final of the Concours International des Jeunes Sommeliers in Frankfurt in 2007. He writes his own blog for sommeliers.

Marilyn Cooper

Marilyn became a Cape Wine Master in 1999, and since then has worked at the Cape Wine Academy, which has been in existence since 1979, and is tasked with education of the public and hospitality industries, from basics to the Cape Wine Master qualification.

She has judged at various wine competitions including Veritas, Diners Club Winemaker of the Year, WINE magazine, Fynproe, Michelangelo awards, Muscadel Association, Woman Winemaker of the Year (panel Chair), Juliet Cullinan Wine Show, Terroir competition, SAA and the Swiss Airline awards.  She is also a regular contributor to various magazines and writes a weekly wine article for Money Week.  She received a Meritorious award from CEO magazine in the category SA’s most influential women in business and government.

She has travelled extensively to most of the major wine growing regions of the world, Portugal, Spain, California, France and Italy, with China planned for the end of the year, and attended both Winexpo and the Wine Experience in New York.   Monthly tastings with her two tasting groups Group 10 and Grand Crew ensure that her international tasting is kept up to date.

Neil returned to his native South Africa in 2006 after spending seven years in San Francisco. While in the USA, he worked in various top restaurants and spent his last three years with the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant, voted the Best Wine Merchant 2005 in the USA by Food and Wine magazine. At the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant, Neil had the opportunity to work under two Master Sommeliers and to study through the Court of Master Sommeliers. He earned his certification in 2005. Neil’s return to South Africa was spurned by his desire to give back to his county of birth and to help promote the growth and recognition of sommeliers in South Africa.

Neil is not only the Sommelier at one of South Africa’s top restaurants, but also oversees the day to day running of the restaurant alongside Chef David Higgs. He has been with Rust en Vrede restaurant since the doors opened in 2007. In that short time, the restaurant has been voted in the Top Ten restaurants in South Africa for two years running and in 2010, won the coveted Eat Out Service Award.  Rust en Vrede has also been named in the San Pellegrino Top 100 Restaurants in the World in 2009.

Born on Gotland, Sweden- trained as a chef at restaurant school 1991, moved in to dining room and fine dining service as a waitress, discovered wine and feel in love.

Graduated in 1999 from Restaurant Academy in Stockholm with a sommelier degree, (Higher Certificate, Wine & Spirit Education Trust).

Has been working as a sommelier for six years at the one star Guide Michelin restaurant Operakallaren in Stockholm and for 3 years as the sommelier at the two star Guide Michelin restaurant Edsbacka Krog, Stockholm.

Moved to South Africa in 2005 and worked as the sommelier/cellar master for Relais & Chateau Hotel Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl, where she worked for 3 years before moving to The Winery Of Good Hope.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Chamber of Industry and Commerce Koblenz (IHK)

President
German Wine School
Koblenz, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Würzburg

Jörg Pfützner

German-born Jörg Pfützner trained and worked as a sommelier whilst living in Hamburg, an experience which has stood him in good stead to become one of the top palates and more recently, fine wine event impresarios of South Africa.

Having moved to South Africa in 2003 after a visit to the Western Cape wine regions where he fell in love with South Africa, Jörg began work at the Aubergine Restaurant in Cape Town. At Aubergine, consistently listed as one of South Africa’s top three restaurants, he built up their wine list, winning annual Diner’s Club Platinum Awards for his superb selections.

Jörg currently fills the position of Consulting Wine Editor for G&W magazine (formerly Golf und Wein), an international luxury lifestyle publication with a quarterly print run focusing on the German-speaking tourist to South Africa. G&W is South Africa’s top luxury lifestyle magazine for the European market and is available all First- and Business-Class flights originating from the UK and Germany and will soon be on the shelves of South African retailers.

In more recent years, he has been on the tasting panel for the John Platter guide, South Africa’s comprehensive wine bible for tourists and locals alike and is well-known as possibly 'the biggest fan of German Rieslings’. Through this cultivated interest, he started and runs The Riesling Club, a group of local and foreign Riesling lovers who have access to the top German Rieslings produced in the world through Jörg’s portfolio and well established personal contacts.