Globetrotting winemaker comes full circle to join Fleur du Cap

Combining his love for travelling with wine, Wim Truter has journeyed the world in his pursuit for winemaking excellence. Now he has returned to Fleur du Cap at Die Bergkelder and is ready to apply his knowledge and continue the tradition of making the next generation of Fleur du Cap wines.

With his appointment as Fleur du Cap red winemaker, Wim Truter has come full circle in his winemaking career. It was at Die Bergkelder, that Wim completed his very first vintage in 2003 as an aspirant winemaker in his final year of studies for his BSC degree in Oenology and Viticulture at Stellenbosch University. Now, with plenty experience and international training behind his name, Wim makes Fleur du Cap red wines under the direction of cellarmaster Andrea Freeborough.

Fuelled with a passion for travelling after his graduation, Wim who hails from the Strand, decided to gain international experience in Australia where he worked for the renowned producer, Hardy’s, in both McLaren Vale in South Australia and in Margaret River in Western Australia. He also spent a harvest in a small Southern Rhône cellar in France and another at Jordan Vineyard & Winery in Napa Valley, California.

“I love travelling and my bucket list is filled with a couple of winemaking destinations I would still like to experience,” says Wim who dreams of harvesting in Germany and is very keen to experience the vineyards of Georgia and Moldova.

At the end of 2005 he settled in at Nederburg as assistant red winemaker, a position he held for two years. In 2007 he was promoted to red winemaker and was sent by the winery to France in mid 2009 to complete a Masters degree in the study of viticulture, wine, terroir and marketing at the Groupe Ecole Supérieure d’Agriculture (Groupe ESA) in Angers. Wim completed his thesis in South Africa, researching the influence of viticulture and winemaking on wine style and quality. He rejoined Nederburg as white winemaker in January 2012.

Cellarmaster Andrea Freeborough says, “Wim’s international experience in both large commercial and small, independent wineries and commitment to producing the best of the best, make him a superb fit with the award winning Fleur du Cap winemaking team at Die Bergkelder. I am confident that Wim will find new ways to unlock the full potential of the top quality grapes soured by our viticulturist, Bennie Liebenberg, from vineyards throughout the Western Cape.”