In an effort to promote the launch of their small business, House of Mandela, and tap into the billion-dollar wine industry, the daughter and granddaughter of Nelson Mandela hosted a posh wine tasting and South African cuisine sampler last week in Manhattan.
More than 40 people attended the swanky event and were greeted by Makaziwe Mandela, the eldest daughter of the former president of South Africa, and her daughter Tukwini. The elegant two-hour social affair featured a cadre of South African cuisine and an endless array of samples of wines fresh from the indigenous and rustic vineyards of South Africa. The country produces about 805 million liters of wine–roughly 3 percent of the world’s wine–and exports half of it.
Before establishing a blueprint to start the business in 2010, Makaziwe said she knew very little about the wine industry. However, she moved ahead with starting the House of Mandela by remembering a credo her father mentioned years ago. “He said if you don’t drink wine, the world won’t accept you,” she said. “This event and others like it are an opportunity for the world to taste the wonderful wines from our country.” Her daughter agreed.
“Wine has a historical and social significance in our country,” said Tukwini Mandela. “We want to share some of that history with the world.”
While Nelson Mandela is not personally involved with the project that bears his name, his daughter said the continued success of House of Mandela will further expand his already monumental and propitious legacy. For more information, visit www.houseofmandela.com.