Joshua van Blommestein was born and brought up in Welkom in the Free State. He studied at Elsenburg College, where he obtained a degree in Oenology and Viticulture.
He was appointed as Manley Wine Estate's winemaker in 2019, when he was still relatively new to the industry. At that point, he had done four harvests in the wine industry of which two years were at Saronsberg. "Working as an assistant to Dewaldt Heyns taught me a lot more than one can learn from books," he says. In the time he was at Saronsberg he was taught the importance of attention to detail and never neglecting even the smallest thing.
He believes that immersing in this craft can transform perceptions of great wine, pouring his heart into each bottle. Beginning in the vineyard, he nurtures exceptional grapes as the foundation for extraordinary wines. Joshua's expertise blends theoretical knowledge with practical experience, pushing the boundaries of winemaking to create captivating and sensorially rich wines.
The love he has for vines is immense because without grapes there is no wine. "The process of my winemaking starts in the vines." He spends more hours in the vines than anywhere else on the farm.
His management areas at Manley includes winemaking, production, vineyard management, and farm maintenance.