Canadian-born Norma is not special just because she is one of very few female winemakers in the Cape. She is also a member of the Cape Independent Winemakers’ Guild, and has served as its chairperson (she was the first female member of the Guild). When she first taught herself to make wine she would give it away to appreciative friends, and she later went to Bordeaux to gain some experience working in a cellar. When the winemaker there broke his leg, she was the one to carry out his instructions in making the wine. A sparkling and energetic soul, Norma brought her new wine-making skills to Warwick where she was able to develop them further.
Norma is very involved in everything that happens on the farm. She keeps an eye on the grapes which are still growing in the vineyards – and also on the various groups of visitors who pass through her cellar and tasting room
Mike Ratcliffe
Mike qualified as a business major before attending the University of Adelaide and was in the first graduating class for the Graduate Diploma in Wine Marketing. Mike is Managing Director of Warwick which is recognized as one of South Africa’s foremost wine estates.
Mike is a leader in the Cape wine industry. He participated in reigniting the concept for a “Cape Blend” (Pinotage-blend) which has since become an integral part of the Cape high-end wine offerings. Mike is a board member of WOSA, (Wines of South Africa) the generic export promotion board for the SA Wine Industry. Mike continues to maintain a keen involvement in black economic empowerment and was a long-standing board member and ex- Deputy Chairman of The South African Wine Industry trust. (SAWIT)
Mike is active in international relations through fundraising as President of the Washington DC based United States/South Africa Foundation, (USSAF) a 301c not-for-profit foundation.
Jenny Ratcliffe
Jenny studied at the Cordon Bleu in Paris, then completed a BA at the University of Stellenbosch before starting her own catering business. She worked as a wine buyer for Woolworths as well as an export manager for a large wine exporter, before joining the family business.
Jenny, who is a Cape Wine Master and published author of a wine book “Spit or Swallow”, is taking a leave of absence to raise her little girl, Georgia Rosemary,, now 8 months, who will hopefully follow in the wine footsteps of the family one day. She lives in Johannesburg with her husband Darryl.
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