Company Announcement - Jancis Robinson, respected UK wine critic and journalist, will lead the line-up as guest speaker of the 2015-discussion about the unique challenges facing the wine industry at the Nedbank VinPro Information Day held on 22 January 2015. Robinson donated her speaker’s fee to the Pinotage Youth Development Academy in Stellenbosch, to support the South African wine industry. The Nedbank VinPro Information Day will be held in a new time slot, from 09:30 to 14:00, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) during which Robinson will address wine producers, as well as role players from the cellar and marketing fields, about international wine trends.

Decanter describes Robinson as 'the most respected wine critic and journalist in the world'. She is an acclaimed TV presenter, writes daily for the award-winning website JancisRobinson.com and weekly for The Financial Times. Robinson has obtained extensive international experience as wine judge, is the first person outside the wine trade to obtain the title Master of Wine, and was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) by Her Majesty the Queen, on whose cellar she now advises.

According to Nikki Munro, programme director of PYDA, the candid donation from Robinson is sincerely welcomed and will be applied to promote the wine industry value chain by fostering a new generation of wine industry stakeholders. The 12 month PYDA programme offers technical training combined with practical experience through which students learn everything from viticulture and winemaking to sales, marketing and tourism. The programme focuses on personal development, and gives students the confidence, knowledge and ability to ease the transition into the world of work.

According to Munro, graduates have an excellent understanding of the A-Z of wine from a technical point of view, strongly embedded through their practical experience. If this is combined with a highly developed level of self-confidence, the students will guarantee a bright future for the country’s wine industry. "We are very excited and grateful for this generous donation from Jancis Robinson. I consider this as a sign of support for what we do here at PYDA from someone who is globally recognised in the wine industry," says Munro.

Registration for the Nedbank VinPro Information Day is currently open until 22 December 2014. The complete programme and registration form are available on www.vinpro.co.za or from Patricia Jordaan at tel 021 276 0429 or jordaanp@vinpro.co.za