Bottled poetry

Justicia Shipena and Mariselle Stofberg

What started as a gift from a friend’s father helped to propel an exciting and rewarding career in winemaking for Sam Adams, the chief executive officer and founder of the Windhoek Wine School.

“I actually began my interest in wine when I was studying abroad in Scotland. Scotch was how I first began to develop a palate. When I returned home a friend’s father gave me what would become my first special bottle of wine, a 2008 Seghesio Zinfandel from Sonoma, California.”

This bottle of wine helped to cultivate an appreciation for the art of winemaking and instilled a passion that helped to further Adams’s career.

“For the first time I was actually able to taste the different flavour components and feel the weight of the wine. That bottle helped reveal the complexity that can be found in a single glass or bottle of wine. I’ve been studying wine ever since, almost a decade now.”

Adams started his wine education in 2008 and wanted to continue it in South Africa, where there are many opportunities, particularly at Stellenbosch.

While making frequent trips to study and sit exams, he realised that there were others like him who wanted to learn more about wine but couldn’t necessarily go to the winelands and thus the Windhoek Wine School concept was born.

Adams stressed that they spent most of their time testing out their classes, writing the curriculum, and tasting wines with test-students. To develop the curriculum they partnered with the Cape Wine Academy in South Africa, which lets them bring their expertise to Namibia.

Adams told Careers that he is a teacher and loves sharing his passion for wine with others and helping them find that same passion in themselves.

“I get to help people find that first glass of wine that makes them say, ‘Oh wow, that is really good!’,” he said.

Beyond the school itself, he views his role as an ambassador for wine enthusiasts looking to continue their journey into the world of wine.

“The hardest part about running a wine school isn’t actually the wine or the school; it’s all the other bits! Thankfully we had so much great support from the community, other wine industry professionals, and friends that we’ve managed to get the school up and running, find some beautiful venues for our classes, and get to test some incredible wines,” Adams said.

A wine memory Adams will not easily forget has its roots in Mendoza, Argentina. “My wife had scheduled us a visit to a winery for my birthday. When we pulled up to the vineyard, instead of taking us to a traditional tasting room, they walked us out to a nearby stream and pulled bottles right out of the water.

“They were using the stream as a refrigerator because the waters were melting off the Andes Mountains and were probably close to 4 or 5 degrees.

“It was an incredible tasting to know that we were drinking wine made from grapes that had been fed by the same stream.”

Adams’s favourite wine region is Piedmont, Italy.

“Not only is it home to some of my favourite wines, Barolo and Barbaresco, but the landscape is dotted with dozens of little hills, castles, and small towns, each with their own approach to local ingredients.

“To say the food is incredible is an understatement, but when you pair it with local wines it creates one of the best traveling experiences you can ask for.”

Adams encourages aspiring winemakers to start reading to broaden their knowledge. “There are so many books, blogs, articles, and journals which can help create a base of knowledge. Books like The Wine Bible, or blogs like WineFolly.com, are perfect tools for someone just starting out. We also offer classes for anyone looking to build their skill set, starting from the very basics all the way through credentials that would allow you to walk into almost any restaurant or hotel with a strong CV in wine service.”

Even though winemaking was historically something that was handed down from winemaker to winemaker, often within a family or at least within a vineyard, Adams believes that credentials within the industry is a concept that is continuously growing.

“In the last 100 years multiple universities have established viticulture and oenology (V&O) programmes to advance agricultural and winemaking techniques. This means that modern-day winemakers are probably closer to chemists than artists – to be sure the job includes a lot of both.”

Adams believes that this knowledge-driven approach has broadened the industry and allowed more people to enter the trade.

“I think a lot of those people are able to do so because they’ve received certifications from institutions like universities, wine schools, sommelier guilds, or other industry training.”

The hope of the Windhoek Wine School is to make each one of their students more confident in their palate, provide them with the opportunity to enjoy tasting more wines, and to give them the reassurance that they can walk into any restaurant or bottle shop and buy with confidence.

“The nice part about our industry is that if you’ve had a rough day you’re usually not too far from a glass of wine to help you relax.”

10 Facts about Adams

1. Favourite South African Wine: Suma Ridge 2010 Pinot Noir, Hemel-en-Aarde

2. Oldest wine ever drunk: A 1952 LaGarde Semillion from Mendoza, Argentina

3. His most recent special bottle: A 2002 RD Bollinger Brut French champagne served at his wedding.

4. Most interesting wine class: Economics of a winery from Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute.

5. Favourite wine and food pairing: Champagne and fried chicken.

6. Favourite cuisine: Chinese food.

7. He has two dogs named Tucker and Ollie.

8. His dark secret is that his wife is better than he is at blind tasting wines and identifying aromas. “Her nose is incredible and she is she’s a supertaster.”

9. His biggest wine dream is to host a wine tasting in a one-of-a-kind-location - like at the edge of Fish River Canyon or in the dunes of Swakopmund.

10. In the US his name is actually the same as a beer, so everyone thinks he is really more into beer rather than wine.