In the late 90’s, Johannesburg businessman Andrew Gunn left the hubbub of Egoli in pursuit of his next career move – farming. Described as a “pig in a poke” by Gunn, his apple farm was soon transformed into a gorgeous vineyard. Nearly 25 years later, Andrew Gunn runs Iona, a winery that focuses on just four select wines. Andrew’s wife, Rozy, joined in on the fun too. – Jarryd Neves
Andrew Gunn on the beginnings of Iona:
I’m originally from Johannesburg and had a business which was sold in the mid 90s. I was contemplating my next move and I ended up coming down and looking at a farm in Franschhoek. Fortunately, it was in February – and I’d never been as hot as that. Quite frankly, coming from what was the old Transvaal in those days, a farm is where you can’t see neighbours. To cut a long story short, I ended up buying this farm on top of the Southern border of the Elgin Valley – totally surrounded by nature conservation. Our nearest neighbour is like seven kilometres away.