Haskell Vineyards – Our Winemaker

“The only thing that is constant is Change”

After 4 years working for different farms in the US I decided to enroll at Elsenburg Agricultural College in Stellenbosch in 2007; a complete change of scenery from my life abroad and especially the Garden Route where I grew up.

I completely fell in love with the luscious vineyards, blue mountains and rich culture of Stellenbosch and the Cape Winelands. It was in 2008 when a bottle of Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2005 made the rounds at an “Huis 18” braai which made me realize I had to study hard, taste more wines and soak up every moment in this beautiful industry to enable me to produce world-class wines.

After Rudolph completed his studies at Elsenburg, he travelled the world, working in Australia and France for a few vintages to gain experience in the wine industry and to broaden his horizons. Before joining the Haskell Team in June 2018, Rudolph was Assistant Winemaker to Boela Gerber at Groot Constantia, where under the guidance of a living legend he refined his skills in the cellar.

In September 2018 Rudolph took over as Winemaker and Vineyard Manager at Haskell Vineyards, and to date has made a positive impact on the farm. With new energy, passion and creativity he believes one has to return to the simplest forms of viticulture, farming the soil and not the vine, to achieve even better quality and greater depth of our already excellent Haskell and Dombeya wines. In a concise and measured way, Rudolph will convert into organic farming, a not insignificant lifestyle decision for Haskell Vineyards. This decision will not only create wines that satisfy wine lovers and connoisseurs around the world, but will also have a positive impact on the environment for us, our children and their children.