You already know a handful of grape names. This course turns those names into personalities: what each grape tastes like, where in the Cape it shines, and which bottles to try next.
🔓 How to unlock this level
Level 2 opens once you reach the Fruit Set rank and hold all three Level 1 certificates.
What you’ll learn
The great Cape whites
Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay up close.
The classic reds
Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot, Cape-style.
Pinotage, our own
Its 1925 origin story and its many styles.
Rising stars
Cinsault, Grenache, Semillon and other comeback grapes.
Cape Blends
How blending creates something bigger than the parts.
Who it’s for
Graduates of Level 1 who want to recognise grapes by taste and order with confidence at the cellar door.
🚗 Responsible enjoyment
This course is for adults of legal drinking age (18+ in South Africa). Please enjoy wine responsibly.
Curriculum
- 3 Sections
- 7 Lessons
- 1 Week
- Cape Grape Varieties: LessonsMeet the grapes that define South African wine, from old-vine Chenin to our homegrown Pinotage.6
- Test Your KnowledgeFinish the course by passing the quiz.1
- Your Certificate1
Instructor
Marthunis J Barnard is the founder of Cape Vine Master, a learning platform built to make Cape wine approachable for everyone. A self-confessed wine amateur rather than a trained sommelier, Marthunis started the project out of a simple belief: South African wine deserves to be back on the map, and you shouldn’t need a fancy vocabulary or a cellar full of bottles to enjoy it.
As a content creator and wine course designer, he turns what he learns on the wine routes of the Western Cape into clear, friendly courses, from how to taste a glass of wine to exploring Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and beyond. Through Cape Vine Master’s courses and its Wine Passport, he invites learners to taste, explore and visit the farms themselves, growing from curious beginner to Vine Master one step at a time.
