George Young, a qualified sommelier, is the wine lounge manager at Vergenoegd Löw. He hails from the picturesque town of Hoedspruit in Limpopo, South Africa. With a background in competitive sports and bodybuilding, he embodies determination and teamwork.
In a field brimming with talent and mentorship, he finds inspiration from various individuals, like Spencer Fondaumiere, the chairman of the the South African Sommeliers Association (SASA), and Le Roi van de Vyver, sommelier at Elgr Restaurant, whose guidance has shaped his career.
George's past experience includes resident sommelier at SCAPE Restaurant at Vondeling's Vrymansfontein, head sommelier at Oldenburg Vineyards, and assistant manager at tthe inVINcible wine bar.
He was part of winning team of the Ubuntu Sommeliers Trophy in 2022 and 2023, and in 2022 he was also the first runner-up at the 2022 Champagne Telmont Best Young Sommelier of South Africa competition.
In 2024, he was selected for SASA's Team South Africa, an elite group of the nation's most skilled sommeliers dedicated to representing South Africa in international wine competitions.
George is one of the finalists in the 2024 Best Young Sommelier Competition