“Wine for me never started with the glass, it started with people,” says Tristan (28). Long tables, shared bottles and conversations that stretch late into the night. That feeling of being fully present, surrounded by people, is what first drew him in.

From there, the curiosity grew. “I slowly fell in love with everything behind it: the places, the hands that make it and the stories that don’t always get told,” he says. What began as a feeling turned into a path, one that would take him through various parts of the industry, from hospitality to harvest.

With a background in business management and marketing, Tristan didn’t follow a traditional route into wine. Instead, he found his way through experience. He worked in hospitality, spent time on cruise ships and stepped into the cellar as a harvest hand across multiple regions. From Benguela Cove in Walker Bay, Rust en Vrede in Stellenbosch and Creation in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley to further afield in Oregon at JFW Willakenzie Estate, each place added something new.

“Spending time across different wine regions changed something in me,” he says. It’s during harvest that things become real. “You quickly realise that wine is not romantic, it’s hard, physical, emotional work. Early mornings, long days, dust and sweat, yet somehow it remains incredibly beautiful. Some people connect with it, others don’t, and that’s okay. But for me, that honesty is what pulled me in.”

Today, he’s one of the driving forces behind Sin Cero Wine Bar on Kloof Street, Cape Town, and projects such as Lekker Doos and The Platform South Africa. His work sits less in production and more in experience and how people connect with wine.

“What keeps me motivated is that same honesty along with the dedication and commitment it takes to keep this industry moving,” he says. “But more than that, it’s about what wine can create. It’s not about selling wine, it’s about creating moments that people carry with them.If I can be part of that moment, I want there to be wine, always.”

One of his achievements he speaks about the most is not tied to a title or a single project, but to the spaces he’s helped build. “I’m proudest of the communities I’ve been able to help build, especially among younger people who are starting their journey with wine,” he says.

Through initiatives such as Lekker Doos and The Platform South Africa, and his work at Sin Cero, he’s focused on opening doors. “I enjoy creating a seat at the table for people who maybe feel wine is not for them,” he says. “It’s about changing perception and making wine feel more approachable without losing its depth.”

There’s a clear turning point in how he sees his role. “Wine is not only made in the cellar, it’s also built in the spaces where people experience it,” he says. That understanding has shaped everything since. Watching people connect over a bottle, seeing someone taste something new and genuinely enjoy it, these are the moments that matter. “It feels like contributing to something bigger than just the product. It feels like culture.

“I don’t come from a traditional route, and I think that’s where a lot of my perspective comes from,” he says. “I see wine as something living, something that moves between people, music, food, place and energy.”

There’s a sense of ease in how he approaches it. It’s less about rules and more about experience. “I want people to feel like they belong in the space, whether they’re opening their first bottle or their hundredth,” he says

And harvest this year, once again, became a teacher. “It strips everything back,” he says. “You’re tired, you’re pushed and there’s nowhere to hide. But with that, there’s growth. You quickly learn resilience. You learn to keep going and find beauty in the chaos every single time. At the end of the day, I just want more people around the table.”

Rapid fire Q&A

  • Red, white or bubbles? All three, always.
  • One thing that always makes you laugh? When a table goes from calm to chaos after the second bottle.
  • Who in the wine world inspires you the most? The people making wine with purpose.
  • Your hidden talent outside of wine? Turning any moment into an occasion.
  • One word that describes the SA wine industry? Awakening.

Social mediaInstagram:@thewineintern | @lekkerdoos | @theplatformsouthafricaLinkedIn:Tristan Maske