The South African wine industry founded the Cape Wine and Spirit Education Trust in 1984. In 2003, the industry granted the Cape Wine Academy the right to take over the examination of candidates for Cape Wine Masters (CWM).

The CWA formed a joint venture with the Institute of Cape Wine Masters to oversee and run future examinations.

As part of the requirements to qualify as a Cape Wine Master, candidates should have submitted an assignment that meets the requirements set by the committee.

Copies of assignments have been held in the SAWIS library, Stellenbosch, but in order to make these more accessible to the industry, since 2006 copies can also be viewed on the Cape Wine Academy website, and are listed below:

• Rhône style red wines in South Africa -
  by Michael John Lee (2010) :: read ::
• Sparkling Wine: The Growth of this Category of Wine in South Africa -
  by Sarah Newton (2010) :: read ::
• The Future of Riesling in SA and what we can learn from the recent improvements in Germany (example: the Rheingau) -
  by Kristina Beuthner (2010) :: read ::
• Wine packaging: alternatives to traditional glass -
  by Lyn Jessica Woodward (2010) :: read ::
• Micro-oxygenation in contemporary winemaking -
  by Duane Alexander Blaauw (2009) :: read ::
• The Fall and Rise of Sémillon in South Africa -
  by Eftyhia Vardas (2009) :: read ::
• Growing the consumption of wine amongst emerging market consumers in South Africa -
  by Mary-Lyn Foxcroft (2009) :: read ::
• The effect of wine on the dental health of consumers -
  by Danielle le Roux (2009) :: read ::
• Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy for Grape and Wine Analysis -
  by Rolene Bauer (2009) :: read ::
• Techniques to achieve moderate alcohol levels in South African Wine -
  by Andras Salaman (2008) :: read ::
• Global warming: A future perspective on changes to wine style and terroir - by De Bruyn Steenkamp (March 2006) :: read ::
• A comparison of legislation with respect to additives in wine -
  by Vashti Galpin (February 2006) :: read ::
• Marketing wine lifestyle in South Africa -
  by Karen Green :: read ::
• Citizen Wine: Good corporate citizenship in the South African wine industry - by Hymli Krige (December 2005) :: read ::
• The English Wine Market -
  by Bradley James Gold (March 2006) :: read ::
• Bottle Closure in the Wine Industry -
  by Berenice Barker :: read ::
• Modern Ecological Wine Grape Production in South Africa -
  by Heidi Nicole Rosenthal Duminy :: read ::
• Wood alternatives - a substitute for barrels, or merely an economical flavourant? - by Andrew Peter Mitchell :: read ::
• The cost breakeven point of wine -
  by Tom Blok :: read ::
• The emergence of vine cultivation in cooler-climate viticulture areas in South Africa with specific reference to Elim and Elgin -
  by Meryl Weaver :: read ::
• Merlot in South Africa and Internationally -
  by Chris de Klerk :: read ::
• Phenolic ripeness in South Africa -
  by Dr. AHA Roediger :: read ::
• Terroir, the footprint of great wines -
  by Gerda Mouton :: read ::
• An accreditation programme for a South African Wine Education Institute - by Dr Winifred Bowman :: read ::
• Chenin Blanc table wines in South Africa -
  by F H Loubser :: read ::

Below are topics of past seminars, which can be found in the SAWIS library.