The Maties Wine Club

The Maties Wine Club (MWC) has proven the existence of an important and treasured link between being a Matie and enjoying a delicious glass of proudly South African wine. Faced with the challenge of how to engage with our fellow alumni during recent socially distanced times, necessity once again donned the cape of innovation and allowed Matie friends – hundreds of kilometres and even continents apart – to come together, share their stories and engage with Matie winemakers.

The MWC sets out to establish a platform for alumni engagement and relationship building between the University, fellow alumni and South African wine estates. We have received excitedly positive feedback from our alumni in Europe about the almost jam-packed wine tastings (mainly online events) with renowned wine estates such as Beyerskloof, Babylonstoren, La Motte and Waterford. The Club is housed in the new Alumni Welcoming Centre at Die Stal and will soon also pivot towards in-person wine-related events, such as Come Wine with Me curated food and wine evenings, wine launches and industry-related gatherings. 

The Club also aims to acknowledge Matie alumni who work in the various industries related to the wine industry, both locally and abroad. Given our geographic location, our academic context, and the renown of our legendary Matie socials, it is easy to understand why wine is such an integral component of our story, economy, history and social fabric. With the launch of our Maties Winemaker Exchange, we aim to honour our alumni winemakers who are making their mark in the SA wine industry.

If sitting back, relaxing, and reliving some of your most heartfelt memories of Stellenbosch, while sipping on a glass of wine, sounds like something you would enjoy, then the MWC is definitely a club that you want to be involved with. With a childlike glee, we can say Cheers! to all the wondrous tastings and sharing of fond Stellenbosch memories that are to come. Life is indeed a celebration and we should pop the bottle and enjoy the delectable ‘nectar of the gods’.