Fundi (pronounced foon-dee) is derived from the isiZulu word umfundi which means ‘learner’. In colloquial South African English refers to an expert or learned person.
It’s also the name of a range of wine launched earlier this year to support a Wines of South Africa (WOSA) training initiative. The organisation, which looks after the promotion of SA wine abroad, has set itself the worthy goal of training 2010 wine stewards by 2010, funded by sales of Fundi. The ultimate aim is that when visitors come to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup they will be served South African wines by enthusiastic and knowledgeable waiters.
The latest news on the initiative is that the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) and both the Swedish and Finnish monopolies have all placed orders for the wine, while Virgin and The Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) have agreed to list Fundi.
Back home though, look out for the wine in shops (around R120) and on wine lists (around R150). All the proceeds go towards the training programme. You can spot the bottles thanks to the hand-made beaded neck piece.
When I went to the launch earlier this year, I remember the wines were all phenomenal. There are six wines in the range – read the back of the label to see which one you are buying. So far wines have been selected from Anwilka, Stellekaya and the company of wine people, with the Stellekaya wine available currently from Caroline’s, Cybercellar, La Cotte and Makro.
