about Higgo Jacobs

Hailing from Calitzdorp, Port wine capital of South Africa, Higgo was lured to the Cape by the beauty of the winelands, along with an ambition to become a lawyer. Although graduating from the University of Stellenbosch with a law degree in 2002, Higgo was constantly taking on wine roles with local vineyards, spending nine years on either side of the cellar door: first as cellar rat, then marketing and exports. Relocating to the UK in 2007, he cut his teeth on the wines of the world, working with highly respected importer – Anthony Byrne Fine Wines and later managing award winning wine merchant – ‘Jeroboams’ Notting Hill branch in London. While abroad, he studied with the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and certified with the Court of Master Sommeliers.

Higgo returned to SA in 2008 into the role of resident Sommelier at Steenberg Hotel, after which he started consulting in the industry and is now working with various establishments on their wine programs. As a consultant to the industry he drives a variety of projects ranging from annual fine wine events to wine competitions and the Nederburg Auction, and he is often asked to represent South African wines on local and international platforms. Higgo is senior judge at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) and Decanter World Wine Awards , and tastes for various local publications and competitions, some of which he chairs.He is a founding member and past chairman of the South African Sommelier Association (SASA), which does training and development for the profession in South Africa, as well as Director of By-Laws for the ASI (Association de le Sommellerie Internationale), the international regulatory body for the sommelier profession.