MJ Barnard
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.
Discover Paarl
Granite domes, a language monument and a freedom story: get ready for Paarl in three short lessons.
Free
Discover Franschhoek
The French corner of the Cape: its history, bubbles and food, in three short lessons.
Free
Discover Stellenbosch
A short history and some fun facts to get you ready for the Stellenbosch winelands.
Free
Cape Wine Routes
An armchair road trip through the Cape Winelands, plus everything you need to plan the perfect day out.
Free
Introduction to Wine
A fun, jargon-free first step into the world of wine, from grape to glass, with a proudly Cape flavour.
Free
Blind Tasting Mastery
Learn the deductive method professionals use to identify a wine's grape, origin and age without seeing the label.
Free
Cellaring & Collecting
Which wines improve with age, how to store them, and how to build a collection you'll love opening.
Free
Terroir of the Western Cape
Why Cape wines taste the way they do: oceans, winds, mountains and some of the oldest soils on earth.
Free
Cap Classique & Fortified Wines
Bubbles made the traditional way, and the Cape's rich heritage of sweet and fortified wines.
Free
Winemaking Explained
Follow the grape from vineyard to bottle and learn how every decision in the cellar shapes the wine in your glass.
Free
Decoding South African Wine Labels
Go beyond the basics: Wine of Origin, the certification seal, estate wines and the words that tell you how sweet a wine is.
Free
Food & Wine Pairing
Simple, practical rules for matching wine with food, from a Sunday braai to Cape Malay curry.
Free
Cape Grape Varieties
Meet the grapes that define South African wine, from old-vine Chenin to our homegrown Pinotage.
Free
How to Taste Wine
Learn the simple Look, Smell, Taste method and host your own fun blind tasting at home.
Free