WINE EDUCATION
TEXT
MARYANNE NJOROGE
WINE
BRILLIANCE
I
“
Capital Club Nairobi’s South African
Head Sommelier, Brilliant Mathelumusa,
is as passionate about wine education on
the continent as he is about the grapes
themselves.
ABOVE
Brilliant Mathelumusa,
Head Sommelier at Capital Club
was born in the cellar” chuckles
Brilliant Mathelumusa, as he
ushers me into Capital Club,
one of Nairobi’s most exclusive
members clubs. I glance around,
catching my breath as I take in the
360 degree aerial views of the city. If
Mathelumusa wasn’t there with me, I
probably wouldn’t have been let out
of the elevator much less past the
hostess and into this refined space.
Mathelumusa is the Head
Sommelier and Food and Beverage
Manager at Capital Club and he
knows a thing or two about wine.
His father, he explains, was a welltravelled man who, for as long as he
could remember, had a passion for
collecting fine wine. “From about
age 15, at dinner, my dad would give
me a tiny sip of wine with a drop of
water. He would tell me that this is a
Cabernet or a Merlot or a Bordeaux
blend. I was totally lost! ” Little did
he know that this was a flavorsome
debut to a life dedicated to
mastering the knowledge of grapes.
There’s a general misconception
that any person at a restaurant who
helps you pair a wine with your
meal can be called a sommelier.
In a nutshell, a sommelier is a
knowledgeable wine professional
who is qualified to serve, sell, pair,
suggest and teach about wine. A
Master Sommelier is the highest
possible ranking in this regard. The
only difference