Joseph Dhafana: From Refugee to Wine Expert in South Africa
Magazin | Journal Menschen, Südafrikanischer Weinmacher, Südafrika
The story of Joseph Dhafana touches many people as it feels almost fairy-tale-like. From refugee to renowned sommelier and winemaker, it showcases the extraordinary capabilities of the human spirit!
A Tale of Destiny
In February 2009, Joseph Dhafana and his wife fled from Zimbabwe to build a better life in South Africa. Joseph found a job as a gardener in the restaurant Bar Bar Black Sheep in Riebeek Kasteel and quickly became a bartender. On his 29th birthday, he tasted his first glass of wine, a Pieter Cruythoff Methodé Cap Classique, and found himself immersed in the vineyards, thinking about how one could transform grapes into delightful wine. This idea stayed with him. In 2013, he enrolled in the Cape Wine Academy and moved to Cape Town, where he had the opportunity to produce his own wine at Antebellum Wines in Meerhof Cellars in 2014. In 2015, he became part of the South Africa Team at the World Sommelier Championship.
Within just a few years, Joseph garnered a stellar reputation in the wine industry, serving as head sommelier at La Colombe, being a member of the Black Cellar Club (BLACC), and captain of the Zimbabwe Team that participated in the World Blind Wine Tasting Championships.
The Triumph of the Four-Leaf Clover
Sommelier Denis Garret, who previously worked with Joseph and praised his remarkable palate, became the coach of the Zimbabwe Team. The four Zimbabweans – Joseph, Tinashe Nyamudoka, Marlvin Gwese, and Pardon Taguzu – left their homeland in search of a brighter future. Together, they found their place in the South African wine industry and completed their sommelier training. Their common goal was to participate in the World Blind Wine Tasting Championships, where 23 countries competed against each other to identify not just the grape variety but also the producer, vintage, region, and country of the wines.
The documentary Blind Ambition states that this is akin to sending a ski team from Egypt to compete in the Olympics. Given the challenges faced by Zimbabwe, it’s remarkable that their team was able to enter such a prestigious event. "It was an overwhelming experience for us," Joseph recalls. "We competed against individuals who have spent 30 years immersed in wine, while I grew up in a church community where wine was considered taboo."
In 2017, two African teams participated among 24 teams worldwide, with Zimbabwe placing 23rd and South Africa achieving 14th place. By 2018, the fantastic quartet had climbed to 14th place! What an achievement!
Today, Joseph is the founder of Mosi Wines and Spirits. One of his wines, the Harry Hartman Mosi Classic Style Blend, was created by him. Experience it for yourself!
A tale that Bacchus, the god of wine, would surely be proud of!
