TAWANDA MARUME
What started as enrolling onto a wine course as a form of learning the basics soon became a path he decided to follow & enroll, starting at the Cape Wine Academy. One level after the other he fell in love with wine and decided to pursue the Cape Wine Masters Program. Working at Wine Concepts on Kloof for a little over 4 years catapulted his career into the wine industry where under the mentorship of Sue Proudfoot, they were tasting wines daily, sometimes up to 20 wines in a day.
ADVENTURE & PRESTIGE
His first role as a sommelier was at La Colombe restaurant where under Jennifer Hugé, Tawanda was exposed to the intensity of the sommelier world while living a once-in-a-lifetime experience…! In 2015, Tawanda moved to East Africa and worked for Singita in the Grumeti Reserves in Tanzania in the Serengeti Western Corridor, step he describes as a ‘major learning’ to always put guests first and focus on making them enjoy every moment of a Wine Experience. Not surprising to see he subsequently joined Rust en Vrede Restaurant for a ‘surreal’ episode, adding yet another prestigious South African cuisine establishment to his inspiring CV.
THE ENTREPRENEUR LIVING THE DREAM
Tawanda decided to move to Johannesburg in 2018 to start pursuing his own dream of a sales and marketing company…. now called Expression Wines Africa! The concept was in fact written in 2010: not only do they offer sales to the farms, but a critical accent is also put on wine service training and education, one of the founding motivations of Tawanda since this journey started over a decade ago.
HE TRULY IS A HUMBLE MAN, BUT HE IN FACT IS…
Currently serving as the Vice-Chairman of the recently formed Sommeliers Association of Zimbabwe in charge of South African members and the holder of the Best Sommelier of Zimbabwe 2020 title. Competitions have taken more place in his life and he undoubtedly has a name any wine lover should make note of.