Following her graduation with a Bachelor in agriculture from Stellenbosch University in 2019, Gina Viola embarked on an exhilarating journey through the vineyards and cellars of the wine world. She was selected for the prestigious Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé Programme and from 2019 to 2022 she honed her craft at renowned estates such as Spier, Ernie Els Wines and Vine and Wine Solutions.
In 2022, she broadened her experience with an international harvest at Weingut Riegelhofer in Austria. While on her two-month stint in Austria, Gina experienced one of the defining moments of her career. Her keen eye detected a strange occurrence in the vineyards. The grapes, which looked like shrivelled raisins, and leaves reminded her of something she’d seen at a Vinpro forum and raised her suspicions. A closer examination revealed the culprit. The vines were infected with aster yellows, a phytoplasma-induced disease.
“Initially, the winemaker’s reaction was mixed, ranging from concern to relief,” she says. “I felt proud that I could use my expertise to help another winery in a foreign country.” Back home, Gina was invited to give a presentation at the Shiraz SA Challenge in 2022. Titled “How the use of precision farming can improve ripeness monitoring of Shiraz grapes and the effect it has on resulting wines”, it was another milestone in her career.
In 2023, she worked as a harvest intern at Babylonstoren, where she made her first wine, a Shiraz and Malbec blend, and broadened her wine knowledge. In August 2023 she was appointed as viticulturist at De Toren Private Cellar.
She finds it impossible to single out just one mentor or guiding light on her journey, saying everyone who crossed her path contributed to shaping the person she is today. “But I must acknowledge the invaluable support of Charles Williams, the cellarmaster at De Toren, who has been instrumental in guiding me over the past nine months. Without his mentorship, I would struggle to keep my head above water.”
In 2024, aged 26, was honoured at WineLand Media's 30 Under 30 Awards – a list of 30 young professionals recognised for their contributions to the South African wine industry.