Terroir is the influence of place. The Western Cape has one of the most dramatic in the wine world. These lessons explain climate, wind, soils and slopes, then tour the key districts.
🔓 How to unlock this level
Level 3 opens once you reach the Harvest rank and hold all Level 2 certificates.
What you’ll learn
Ocean influence
How the cold Benguela current cools the vineyards.
The Cape Doctor
Our famous south-easter and why vines love it.
Ancient soils
Granite, sandstone, shale and limestone.
Altitude and aspect
Why slope direction and height matter.
District profiles
What makes each Cape area distinct.
Who it’s for
Learners who want to taste the difference between places, not just grapes.
🚗 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
- Terroir of the Western Cape: LessonsWhy Cape wines taste the way they do: oceans, winds, mountains and some of the oldest soils on earth.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.
