Nederburg Wines

Pieter Badenhorst, Nederburg’s white-winemaker, grew up in the scenic Boland town of Tulbagh, surrounded by majestic mountains and fertile valleys boasting pristine vineyards.

This is where his interest in wine was piqued - trying to fathom, from an early age, how it’s possible that a microscopic living yeast cell can turn grape juice into wine. It was this scientific occurrence, coupled with the chance to create something tangible, something a little magical and adored worldwide, that fascinated him to the point of pursuing a career in winemaking.

So, after matriculating in 1998, he enrolled for a four-year Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Stellenbosch, specialising in oenology and viticulture. Straight after graduating, he was appointed as Nederburg’s assistant white-winemaker, working under the guidance of cellar-master at the time, Razvan Macici, a gifted winemaker whom Pieter still admires to this day for his contagious passion for wine.

In 2019, Pieter’s journey in winemaking came full circle when he returned to Nederburg to head up the white-winemaking team, after more than a decade as winemaker for Fleur du Cap, another of Distell’s prestigious wine brands. In between, he managed to squeeze in some harvest seasons in Germany and France, equipping him with valuable experience and a chance to further hone his winemaking skill.

Nederburg’s talented young viticulturist is Isabel Teubes (31). She took up her position at the award-winning Paarl winery in early December 2019, and is responsible for overseeing all of Nederburg’s vineyards in Paarl, Simondium and Groenekloof, as well as those of its wide network of suppliers in many of the Cape’s top growing areas from Durbanville to Gansbaai, from Elgin to Ceres.

Down-to-earth and unpretentious, she hails from Vredendal, where she was born and raised on a wine farm situated along the banks of the Olifants River.

Before joining the DGB winemaking team in 2014, she obtained a degree in agriculture from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). Matching her innate passion for wine growing with incredible effort and hard work meant an opportunity to travel to the United States (US) to discover and learn. She spent some time working in the US wine region of Russian River in the Sonoma Valley, where she enjoyed incredible exposure to international viticultural standards and practices.

Isabel says she is driven to succeed by the unique challenge of each harvesting season. “Each vintage is different. Each year comes with its own set of challenges and opportunities.”