THIS year’s winner of the Diner’s Club Wine Steward of the Year Award was polishing glasses, scraping dirty dishes and mopping floors ten years ago.
With no formal training to speak of, Glenroy du Plessis started as a runner at Bosman’s Restaurant at Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl and worked his way up to Chef de Rang, or Senior Server, in just a few short years.
This was an enormous achievement considering all his fellow Chefs des Rangs were foreigners with international experience and training.
Glenroy was quickly noticed by Bosman’s head sommelier for his excellent palate.
His thirst for knowledge and passion for his craft has led him to enroll at the Cape Wine Academy where he hopes in time to qualify as a Wine Master.
“Wine is a big part of my life. My passion is to share great wines with people who enjoy and understand and care about wine, and I love to taste with them and debate what I believe makes a particular wine special.
Glenroy said winning the award was an enormously gratifying experience and an unexpected, but great honour.
“It’s a big thing. There were so many talented stewards who entered and I really didn’t expect it, but I’m so honoured.
“I want to use this as an opportunity to encourage people like me with a passion for wine to strive all out to achieve their goals,” he said.
