Gyles Webb is the founder of Thelema Mountain Vineyards in Stellenbosch.
Gyles had an unusual beginning in the industry, having qualified as an accountant after attending school in Natal. Although an enthusiastic wine consumer, it was a chance encounter with Puligny-Montrachet in Kimberley in mid 1979 that persuaded him to pack away his green pen and bring his wife and infant son to Stellenbosch, where he completed a BSc Agric degree in 1979, majoring in Viticulture and Oenology. In 1983, with the help of his wife's family, the McLeans, Gyles bought Thelema.
The manor house was restored and the first wines under the Thelema label were released in 1988. By the mid 90s Thelema’s wines sold out within a month after release, making it one of the most sought-after wine estates in South Africa. The Webb family describe Thelema as "one of the most beautiful places on earth".
As Thelema continued to flourish, Gyles embarked on a search for an additional property in order to establish a second vineyard. In 2002, the Webb family purchased Sutherland Vineyards, an idyllic farm with an undulating landscape in the cool Elgin region.