In 2014, Kobus Basson, owner of Kleine Zalze, had announced that he had appointed Alastair Rimmer as the cellar master. Our resident wine expert Carrie Adams chats to Rimmer, an internationally acclaimed cellar master. Raised in Benoni and now a world class wine maker, Rimmer shares his story. – Jarryd Neves
Alastair Rimmer on how he got into winemaking:
I was planning to study horticulture and looking at going to Pietermaritzburg. I grew up in an English speaking family, picked up a bit of Afrikaans at school, but nothing that would allow me to study in Afrikaans. By chance, I was in Stellenbosch. My parents bought a property in the Cape and I was bored and went and had a look at the campus of Stellenbosch University.
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 kil