About Us
HISTORY AND VISION
Although we know that the wine industry existed before the ostrich era, very little of it is documented anywhere. The Robertson Wine Valley’s first agricultural industry was the farming of sheep and cattle. The 1st record found is of land made available to one Pieter Joubert in 1710. The town of Robertson was officially formed on 19 January 1853 and named after Dr William Robertson who was the 1st minister. Although no mention is made of winemaking as such, one of the conditions to buy town plots was not to sell wine or any other strong liquor, lending one to believe it was made. Read more...
The Robertson Wine Valley was formed in 1983 and represents 47 wineries from Ashton, Bonnievale, McGregor and Robertson. The wine route is regarded as one of the most pro-active in the SA Wine Industry, and have a great sense of unity among its members.
Today the Robertson Wine Valley is widely regarded as one of SA’s premium wine destinations and independent studies have shown it to be one of the wine routes of choice. The valley is a dream for those loving scenic drives with flower-fringed roads taking you from wine farm to wine farm. The people are friendly and relaxed, urging you to spend a little extra time to really get to know all the area has to offer.
Our VISION: "To position the Robertson Wine Valley amongst the leading wine regions of the world, recognised for its wine, experiences and practices".
MEET OUR STAFF
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Elizma Botha (neé Spangenberg) - Wine Route Manager Although Elizma was not even been born yet when the Robertson Wine Valley was established, she is as passionate about the Valley as any local ‘born & bred’ De Wet or Bruwer and will use every opportunity to sell the region and it’s product to a willing ear (and palate). Originally from Klawer, growing up between vines on the West Coast, Elizma went on to study B.Sc Agric (Viticulture and Oenology) at the University of Stellenbosch, followed by B.CommHons in Logistics Management. A slight detour in her path gave her the opportunity to try and conquer software in the support offices of Prophet SA in Somerset West, but after six months, when the Board of Robertson Wine Valley offered her the job as wine route manager of Robertson Wine Valley…nothing stopped her from packing up and moving to Robertson to join them in June 2009. This turned out to be a fantastic move, as she met the love of her life shortly after, and in 2012, she and Chris Botha got married. Currently, she is stumped on how quickly time has flown by, how much she’s learnt since joining RWV and truly excited about the future and RWV’s place in the wine scene – both locally and internationally. |
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Marylize Mouton - Assistant Manager Marylize originally hails from the Swartland, where her father and brother still farms. After travelling the world, operating a successful pottery business and working at an attorney’s office, her heart was stolen and brought to McGregor by Cobus Mouton – she of course followed! After a few years as Public Relations Officer at Klipdrift Brand Distillery, Marylize joined the Robertson Wine Valley team in 2008. These days she is a full time festival organiser, bookkeeper, store room manager and mother of four gorgeous children – Chris, Elizabeth and twins, AJ and André. She is also part time ‘school bus driver’ and when she has time, a very valuable receptionist! |
Together they are a formidable team and responsible for all the Robertson Wine Valley festivals and projects.
MEET OUR BOARD
CHAIRMAN: Kobus Burger (Rietvallei)
FINANCE: Pieter Bruwer (Bon Courage)
TECHNICAL: Briaan Stipp (Robertson Winery)
MEMBERS:
Peter de Wet (Excelsior)
Bowen Botha (Robertson Winery)
Niel Colyn (Koningsrivier)
Johann de Wet (De Wetshof)
Sterik de Wet (Ashton Kelder)
