Lanzerac Wine Estate is pleased to announce the appointment of Barend Barnard to the position of General Manager in its Wine Division as of 1 November 2016.

“This appointment is a logical progression as Lanzerac develops its long-term programme, which will be now managed by Barend Barnard”, says current General Manager, Boets Nel, who has managed the Lanzerac wine division the past four and a half years. “I have full confidence in Barend’s appointment. He brings a wealth of experience to Lanzerac and is a wonderful addition to the Lanzerac family.It has been a great privilege to have played a small part in the revival of this beautiful Wine Estate with so much history, but I believe it is time to hand over to Barend to take Lanzerac to the next level, with the support of a very enthusiastic and energetic team.”

Barend will be responsible for managing all facets of Lanzerac’s wine division and its day-to-day operations, as well as taking care of the marketing and sales of Lanzerac Wines in the domestic market.

He gained valuable experience in the wine industry that spans more than 20 years, working for various well-known and established brands. His career in the South African wine industry started as a student at Backsberg in the mid 1990’s. In 2000 he was appointed as Regional Commercial Manager for Backsberg in Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga and Kwazulu- Natal. After his Gauteng tenure spanning 6 years, he followed his mentor, Charles Withington, to join forces back in Cape Town for Coppoolse Finlayson / Sentinel Vineyards as National Commercial Manager. His passion for wine on the commercial side led him to positions with Vrede & Lust in Franschhoek, Hidden Valley in Stellenbosch and finally  as Co-Manager of L’Avenir and Sub Saharan Commercial Manager of Advini.

“The appointment at Lanzerac is a fantastic opportunity and challenge. I look forward to taking up my new position at Lanzerac, to grow and nurture this icon Wine Estate and wine brand by executing the necessary strategies that we have identified”, says Barend.

Lanzerac Wine Estate is located in the Jonkershoek Valley of Stellenbosch and is home to the world’s first bottle Pinotage which was released in 1961.