2014 Top 10 finalist Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient and The South African Wine Tasting Championships (SAWTC) have launched the Mosaic Protégé Programme with the aim to transform wine enthusiasts from previously disadvantaged communities into highly trained sommeliers.

The chosen candidate will be offered a fully paid three-year internship at Restaurant Mosaic, where they will work alongside acclaimed sommelier Germain Lehodey and be exposed to the 3 400-plus wines in the cellar. In addition to invaluable industry experience, the candidate will receive intense training and the necessary formal education needed to excel in this profession. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to represent South Africa alongside Team South Africa at the World Blind Challenge 2015 in France in October.

“Restaurant Mosaic has always had a philosophy to educate and empower those who are not in the position to further their own studies and, as a restaurant with a phenomenal cellar, we can contribute to the training of an individual to be part of Team SA, and further their knowledge,” says executive chef and 2014 Chef of the Year Chantel Dartnall.

Acclaimed sommelier Germain Lehodey.

The first candidates will be considered at the SAWTC’s Gauteng Provincial Championships in Sandton on 13 May 2015. The SAWTC, along with the South African Sommelier Association, will screen potential candidates, with the final decision left up to the team at Restaurant Mosaic.

Those interested in applying for the Mosaic Protégé Programme are required to fill in an entry form to participate in the Gauteng Provincial Championships held at the Juliet Cullinan Wine Festival in Sandton on 13 May. Tickets cost R100 per person, but candidates will be given the opportunity to apply for a free ticket by contacting SAWTC on sawtc2015@gmail.com.

Visit www.sawtc.co.za more for information.