The Boland may be well known for its wine and by extension its sommeliers, but now the region also boasts its very own water sommelier.
A water sommelier is a trained expert, just like the wine experts, who understands the taste, mineral composition, source and terroir of different natural, in this case, waters.
“Just as wine sommeliers guide guests through wine styles and pairings, water sommeliers help people discover the incredible diversity of flavours, textures and origins in fine waters,” Nico Pieterse, one of only two certified water sommeliers in South Africa, explains.
Pieterse partnered with the Lanzerac Hotel and launched the country’s first fine water-tasting experience. At the tasting room Pieterse shows off his curated collection that includes waters aged up to 100 000 years, sourced from glaciers, volcanic springs and remote rainfall around the globe.
According to Pieterse he founded The Fine Water Company in 2021, specifically with the intention of curating and showcasing exceptional natural waters from South Africa and around the world.
“We work with restaurants, hotels, private clients and wellness spaces to introduce fine-water programmes, pairings, and tastings. The concept is still relatively new in South Africa, so a big part of the business involves education – teaching people that water is not ‘just water’. It has flavour, structure, personality and provenance,” he explains.
Like wine, coffee, olive oils and other tasting favourites, water has an enormous range of texture and flavours. Pieterse explains this distinct range depends on the minerals, source and age.
Anyone looking to experience a water tasting at Lanzerac can look forwarded to a “guided sensory experience”. Guests will have the opportunity to taste waters from around the world and learn how to taste water professionally.
“Yes, there is a technique,” Pieterse explains. Through the tasting guests will compare flavours, minerality, mouthfeel, carbonation, aroma and origin of the waters from ultra-light glacier meltwaters to high-mineral waters drawn from deep geothermal aquifers.
“My goal is simple – to educate, surprise and inspire, and to bring water into the spotlight as a premium, sensory product,” Pieterse says.
“I’ve always been passionate about elevating water culture and helping people see water as more than just a commodity. Water has terroir, character, age and an identity shaped by nature – some waters we serve are up to 100 000 years old. As I grew deeper into the world of fine water, I realised there was a real gap in South Africa – and globally – for a place where people could experience water the way we experience wine. That inspired me to open the world’s first dedicated Fine Water Tasting Room at Lanzerac.”
Among the international water collection at the Stellenbosch tasting room is Fromin, a Czech spring water from a protected ice-age aquifer; Three Bays, ancient aquifer water from Australia with exceptionally high minerality; and Perlage, sparkling water with a delicate, fine bubble from Poland. The collection changes seasonally.
Pieterse explains the specialised qualification can only be completed through recognised institutions such as the Fine Water Academy.
The training covers water chemistry, sensory evaluation, bottling processes, sourcing geology, sustainability and advanced tasting techniques.
But what is the best water Pieterse has tasted? According to the Boland sommelier it is Svalbarði, a luxury water harvested from Arctic icebergs. “Drinking it is like tasting a moment of ancient purity – soft, delicate, almost ethereal.
“Another remarkable example is 100 000-year-old aquifer water, drawn from deep, protected geological formations,” he explains.
“These waters offer a taste of the earth’s distant past and are incredibly rare.”
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