Cape Town - Not only is she the youngest head female winemaker in South Africa, but now Mitchells Plain-born and bred Kiara Scott-Farmer, 32, has also won the prestigious Diners Club Winemaker of the Year award.
This accomplishment makes her the youngest female ever to win the esteemed accolade and the first female of colour to do so. This year, the Winemaker of the Year competition centred on Chenin Blanc.
Scott-Farmer, who is the sole winemaker at Brookdale Estate, secured the top honour with her Brookdale Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2022, a wine that speaks to both her technical expertise and her deep personal connection to her craft.
Her victory is a milestone not just for her career but for the wine industry as a whole, underscoring the shift towards greater diversity and inclusion in a historically exclusive field.
Scott-Farmer’s path to success has not been without its challenges.
“Anything that’s worth doing will have challenges, nothing is easy,” she reflected.
“My journey has been much like a runner’s, I look at it like this: When you’re a hurdle runner, you know you’re going to have to jump over obstacles to get to the finish line, and that is exactly what I did,” she explained.
As much as Scott-Farmer’s success can be attributed to her exceptional talent and determination, she is quick to acknowledge the role that faith has played in her journey.
“God is faithful, and without the grace of God, where would I be? It is grace and just by His grace,” Scott-Farmer shares.
But faith alone isn’t what brought Scott-Farmer to the pinnacle of her career. Her humility and gratitude shines through as she acknowledged that the recognition is not just for her, but for everyone who has supported her along the way.
“You have to work hard. I’ve had fantastic support from my husband, my family, and my team,” she said.
This network of support has been integral to her success, and Scott-Farmer remains deeply appreciative of the people who’ve helped her along the way.
“Did I hope for it? Yes,” she admits, reflecting on her aspirations when she first entered the industry.
“Did I expect it, this young? No, but then I look at my team and I realise how much effort and hard work goes into making a beautiful craft like the Chenin Blanc,” she said
Scott-Farmer’s journey is especially inspiring when considering her background. Born and raised in Rocklands, Mitchells Plain, a community often associated with socio-economic challenges, Scott-Farmer’s story challenges the notion that your environment defines your future.
“This is an area mostly known for substance abuse and hardship, yet there are so many diamonds in Mitchells Plain,” she said.
“Just because you come from Mitchells Plain doesn’t mean you have to succumb to societal norms.
“There are so many projects and wonderful people from Mitchells Plain, I just happen to be one of them, a reminder that a little bit of hardship and tough times does produce a beautiful diamond,” she said, describing how her journey, though filled with struggles, has shaped her into someone capable of creating something extraordinary – whether it be a bottle of fine wine or a life story.
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za