The Women of HER Wine Collection Sat, Jan 31, 2026 on visibility, empowerment and redefining gender They don’t just have a female winemaker, every member of the team is female, a unique proposition. Visibility changes behavior. The first tasting I hosted at Pompette in 2024 included HER Shiraz. At the time, I shared far less context than I can now—but the effect was immediate. Guests remembered the wine. They asked for it again. For many, it was an introduction to a style that felt unfamiliar but compelling: less fruit-forward, more savory, more structured. That moment made something clear to me—when people can see themselves reflected in wine, they engage differently. Purpose-driven wines don’t just tell better stories; they rebuild trust, expand taste, and may be one of the few paths forward for an industry struggling to stay relevant. HER is a case study in what that can look like. HER Wine Collection was conceived by Adama Wines with a clear goal: to succeed where most post-apartheid land-reform efforts in South Africa have failed. While many initiatives stopped at returning land without long-term viability, Adama set out to build a functioning wine business—one that translated progressive legislation into real ownership, economic power, and continuity for Black South Africans. HER takes that vision further. It is an all-women wine brand, intentionally structured so that purpose is embedded into profit, not added as an afterthought. 2% of profits from every bottle of HER wine sold is reinvested into a bursary fund supporting tertiary education for young people from the Wellington and Paarl communities. At the center of this work is Praisy Dlamini, General Manager and winemaker, herself a product of bursary-supported education. As her cohort, Kiara Scott-Farmer, Praisy was also a Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé Programme Scholar. In fact she was the first black woman to be accepted in the program. It wasn’t just about winemaking; it was about finding my place in a space where people who looked like me hadn’t really been seen before. It gave me confidence, a sense of belonging, and a real drive to help create space for others too. She now pays that access forward—both materially and vocally—by insisting on visibility as a form of responsibility and by redefining who leads, and who belongs, in wine. “The all-female team is more than a success story—it’s a blueprint for change. This visibility inspires confidence, shifts perceptions, and shows the next generation that gender doesn’t define ability, ambition, or excellence in wine.” HER Shiraz reflects that philosophy in the glass. Sourced from sustainably farmed vineyards across the Western Cape, the wine leans savory and structured, with dark berries and plum balanced by spice, subtle leather, and firm but integrated tannins. It’s bold without excess—designed to be opened, shared, and returned to. Like the brand itself, it offers a vision of wine shaped not by prestige, but by intention. Return to Blog Home By Izzy Ruiz Tags: her wine collection south africa black women purpose reform impact western cape representation sustainable shiraz visibility
