Tinashe Nyamudoka knows the value of good drinks when it comes to bringing friends together. When travelling from Johannesburg to Cape Town for work, he uses the opportunity to host gatherings for his friends with carefully curated wines and thoughtfully prepared plates.  

For the sommelier, these evenings serve multiple purposes beyond just eating and drinking well. They’re a chance to reconnect, catch up on busy schedules, celebrate achievements and uplift each other. 

He keeps things practical when it comes to hosting. He buys wine and prepares food that fit his friends’ lifestyle, rather than asking them to adapt to complicated pairings. He sticks to classics with one or two subtle twists. 

Growing up without access to commercial wine culture, Tinashe discovered the world of wine and food when he moved to Cape Town for work. Now he uses these gatherings to share that journey, focusing on the simple pleasure of tasting good food and wine with good friends. 

Watch the video below as Tinashe shares one of these special evenings with us…  

 

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We chatted to Tinashe to find out more about his connection with good food and wine…

When you get together with friends for an evening of food and drinks, how is the experience about more than just what you’re consuming?
Considering the busy schedules we have, it’s a time to catch up. We also use the opportunity to celebrate achievements, as well as share ideas to uplift each other. 

Why are get-togethers like this important to you?
My journey through wine has run parallel to my journey with food and people. I discovered food after wine, and it’s been one of the best things ever. I always use these get-togethers to share my journey of finding and creating beautiful food. 

What’s your process for curating the perfect drinks and food pairings when entertaining?
I buy wine and prepare food that fits with my friend’s lifestyle and don’t change our lifestyle to fit the wine and food. I love to stick to classics and often add one or two new twists.  

How do quality food and drinks enhance an evening with friends and create moments of connection?
We discovered beauty very late in life. There was no commercial wine culture to speak of where we grew up. Only when we came to work in Cape Town did we realise everything that we’d been deprived of. There are so many people who have no access to things of beauty. When I host these evenings, I realise how profoundly wine and food allow people to exchange and experience beauty. 

What’s your approach to introducing someone to a wine you love – how do you share that passion?
Keep technical details to a minimum because we’re here to taste the product not the process. Technical talk is deadly for sharing wine’s pleasures. 

How does the simple act of pouring someone a drink show care and attention?
The simple act is a message of pure generosity conveyed without language.