"For the second consecutive year Spier was the country's top achiever at the prestigious Concours Mondial des Bruxelles competition."

Winemakers

Great wines don’t happen by accident. It takes a talented and dedicated winemaking team to establish a level of quality that becomes a defining characteristic, year after year. Heading up the team at Spier is Cellar Master Frans Smit, whose approach to his art  is as passionate as it is precise.

With a self-effacing demeanour that belies his exceptional skill, Frans ensures that every wine that he and his team create is an expression of the very best of South African terroir.  “Getting the best out of every berry, with as little interference as possible” is a mantra that has seen the team accrue prestigious awards, and win the hearts of enthusiasts all around the world.

If winemaking is an art, then Frans and his winemaking team can be said use their canvases to the very best effect. These are works of elegance that can be understood by everyone from the novice to the seasoned connoisseur.

Frans Smit - Group Cellar Master

This man needs little introduction, having had our flagship Bordeaux-style blend named in his honour! Frans was raised in Kakamas, a small town in the Northern Cape. His interest in viticulture began at an early age and informed his career choice, starting with a diploma in cellar technology. Graduating at the top of his class, Frans spent his third year studying oenology, and joined Spier on graduating in 1995. A strong believer in simplicity, Frans relies on few conventions in the Spier cellar. He attributes high importance to grape quality – something he is able to spot with great accuracy. He is also a self-confessed 'terroir nerd' and spends a good deal of time studying vineyard charts. His favourite cultivars are Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot from Spier's own farms. Frans's idea of the perfect holiday is braai tongs in one hand, Spier wine in the other, and miles and miles of endless Kalahari sand.

Johann Smit - Group Viticulturist

Best known as the man who tirelessly traverses the vineyards in pursuit of the best grapes, Johann also cultivates giant-sized pumpkins. So famous is he for his award-winning produce that he was awarded a full page spread in the Wineland magazine. Luckily for Spier, he is as attentive to winemaking and boasts a growing list of awards that attest to his finely honed skills and disciplined work ethic. When Johann leaves the vineyards, he loves to cook for his wife Izanne and their two children (his wife loves this too!) and when he finds himself with time on his hands he spends it in the great outdoors diving, hunting, fishing or going on African safaris.

Johan Jordaan - Senior Winemaker

A keen traveller, Johan loves to learn about world cultures and gain insights into different winemaking styles. He currently holds the position of Cellar Manager and Senior Winemaker. His first love (don't tell his wife Lizanne) is our very own homegrown Pinotage. Johan is particularly interested in wine and food pairings and experiments with wines that have been blended but not yet bottled to ensure that the wine can stand on its own, be enjoyed with food and has good maturation potential. When he's not fooling around with wine, he works hard on his golf handicap or spends time with his wife mountain biking, trail running and camping. Due to, or perhaps thanks to the nature of his work, they taste a lot of wine and love sharing this experience with friends over weekends.

Jacques Erasmus - White Wine Maker

Jacques made his first wine when he was only twelve years old using Chenin Blanc grapes he found on his home farm in the Worcester Valley. He stored it in the household fridge much to his mother's delight (not!) – and to this day a Chenin Blanc remains one of his preferred cultivars. Jacques has been with Spier since 2003 and championed the award-winning Creative Block 2. Needless to say, his techniques have improved somewhat since those initial home winemaking days, but his instincts remain as true as ever. Jacques spends much of his free time at home or in nature with his wife Esmari, children Carlien and Stephan, and Staffordshire Terrier Tinta.