Your Home, Your roots, Your Origins
After realizing that Zimbabwe’s economic instability wouldn’t allow him to find success, Tinashe Nyamudoka left to find opportunity in South Africa. His first position was polishing silverware at a restaurant in Cape Town in 2008. It was there that he became curious about food and wine. Having never drank wine before this, he started learning under the restaurant’s Beverage Director. The next year he was working as a wine steward at Nobu.
Nyamudoka’s story is unlike any other. A short six years later be became the head sommelier at The Test Kitchen, which is recognized as the best restaurant on the continent. In 2017 he was part of the Zimbabwean tasting team at the South African Wine Tasting Championships along with Tongai Joseph Dhafana, Marlvin Gwese, and Melusi Magodhi. They placed fourteenth out of twenty-four teams, coming ahead of France, England, and the U.S.
Having faced racism in its many forms working in post-Apartheid South Africa, Nyamudoka committed himself not only to changing the culture of wine in South Africa and Zimbabwe but creating one. Wine was not part of his upbringing. But with the launch of his label, Kumusha Wines, he hopes that won’t be true for the generations who follow him. To the Shona people of Zimbabwe, kumusha means, “your home, your roots, your origins.” After only a few years, Zimbabwe is now one of his largest export markets.
Nyamudoka is here to change the system from the inside out. Creating the space for more black South Africans and Zimbabweans to find success as retailers, distributors, and importers is just as important to his mission. But that can only happen if his wines travel and find success.
That is why we are so happy to share his wines with you. His Sauvignon Blanc and Pinotage are perfect reflections of South African terroir. They don’t try to mimic the ripe, flabby styles winemakers often think international markets will enjoy. They are uniquely South African.
There is real tension and earth to be found in his Pinotage. It’s a varietal that can be mishandled, often resulting in overblown tar & char notes with too much acidity. But this wine is balanced and shows the winemaker’s restraint. His Sauvignon Blanc is incredibly posh. The exuberant tropical notes of the grape hit you on the swirl, think pomelos & freshly mown grass. But the body of the wine is tempered and fine, certainly more exciting than most of the Sancerre we’ve seen recently. So, try them for yourself, keep an eye out for the new labels, and remember the story behind Kumusha when you do.
