Wim Truter Joins Meerlust as Head Winemaker

Wim Truter Joins Meerlust as Head Winemaker
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Wim Truter is to join Meerlust Estate as Head Winemaker/Manager. He becomes the third winemaker on this renowned Stellenbosch estate which dates to 1693 and has been owned by the Myburgh family since 1756.

Since its first estate release in 1975, Meerlust has had only two winemakers: Giorgio Dalla Cia (to 2004) and Chris Williams from 2004.

Truter will officially join Meerlust on 1 May. The 2020 vintage will be handled by winemaker Altus Treurnicht, with Williams and Truter available to assist.

Truter holds a BSc Agric. degree in Chemistry, Oenology and Viticulture from the University of Stellenbosch, graduating cum laude and winning the Perold medal for best BSc. Agric Student. He then pursued the international MSc Vintage qualification in Vine, Wine and Terroir Management that included stints studying at the Ecole Superieur d’Agriculture, Angers, France, the Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy and the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia in Valencia Spain.

His most recent position was that of Head Winemaker at the KWV, and Truter has also worked at various wineries in Europe, Australia and America including Jordan Vineyard & Winery in Sonoma and Tintara Hardy’s in McLaren Vale Australia.

Hannes Myburgh, proprietor of Meerlust, says that Truter’s reputation and working experience will be an asset to Meerlust on many fronts.

“His academic excellence is backed by sound working experience – locally and internationally,” says Myburgh. “Wim’s obvious expertise in the fields of viticulture and winemaking is complemented by solid experience in management of personnel and logistics and the hands-on operational approach needed to run the day-to-day operations of a quality-focused winery. Myself and the rest of the Meerlust team look forward to welcoming Wim to a wine farm where we place as big an emphasis on people as on our vineyards and wines.”

Truter says he looks forward to working with a premium wine brand with the legacy and reputation of Meerlust. “In my professional career I have been fortunate to work with established South African wine brands and am aware of the importance legacy and track-record plays,” he says.

“Meerlust is an ultra-premium brand – both in terms of wine quality as well as the pedigree it draws from - and I am really looking forward to playing a role in production as well as in the strategy required to ensure Meerlust maintains and further embeds its position at the top-end of the South African wine offering.”


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Meerlust Estate Baden Powell Drive P.O. Box 7121 , Stellenbosch, 7599, South Africa