LUVO NTEZO APPOINTED ONE&ONLY HEAD SOMMELIER

FOR Luvo Ntezo, there’s always room to grow and his recent appointment as head sommelier at One&Only Cape Town has come at just the right time for this likeable wine aficionado.

Despite the slew of awards that have come his way over the past few years, Luvo Ntezo is a humble man, clearly excited by the scope of the wine world that he so comfortably inhabits.

Recently appointed head sommelier at One&Only Cape Town, Luvo has already carved a name for himself as one of the best palates in the country, thanks to the accolades he received for his wine lists at The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa where he was based for six years. Luvo’s appointment comes at an important time in the industry where mavericks are being celebrated and boutique operations praised for their purist approach to their craft. Luvo himself spends much time exploring the lesser-known wine producing regions of the Cape in search of interesting offerings to add to the already impressive collection at One&Only, one of the largest in Africa.

“The wine list at our hotel is massive and features both old and new world wines as well as many vertical vintages, it’s my and the team’s job to introduce our guests to new tastes and to help them celebrate their favourites – and with the superstar wines from the major wine producing countries, it’s always a pleasure”, laughs Luvo. A people’s person, motivated and passionate about motivating others, Luvo works closely with the sommelier team teaching them what he’s learned along the way, helping them hone their skills and sharing academic material wherever he can. He himself received this kind of nurturing many years ago as a pool barman at a local hotel where a winemaker spotted his inherent talent for tasting – setting the ball rolling for a fascinating and rewarding career.

With such an enormous wine list on offer, Luvo’s challenge is to make wine accessible to diners at the hotel and he and the team do so enthusiastically. Recent developments have included the Wine & Dine evenings where small groups (up to 30 people) dine with Luvo, chef Reuben Riffel and a chosen winemaker. “I like Reuben’s approach to food and his combining of South African and international flavours – this works very well with our wine collection which is based on the same principles”, explains Luvo who says “I tell my team that we are the hosts at a dinner where our aim is to ensure our guests never forget the combined wine and food experience”.

Perhaps his most refreshing quality is that despite an undeniable deference for the wine world, Luvo is not a wine snob by any means “there are no golden or unbreakable rules with wine in my opinion, and we want to encourage people to explore their own taste preferences, if we can show them something new to enjoy along the way we’ve done a good job”, he says.

Excited about his new position, Luvo, who is a father of two, enjoys the fact that he can walk to work to a hotel situated in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. “I’m enjoying myself and I’m learning a lot from working within a big hotel organisation, discovering new things and meeting new people; I’m lucky though - wine is a great unifier, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, if you can share and enjoy a bottle of wine, you’re halfway there”.

STORY COURTESY OF MANLEY COMMUNICATIONS