“That sense of place is what is important. Wherever you go in the world, wine is always traced back to the origin. I think that is why the winemaker is almost like the messenger between the grapes and the vineyard and the wine in the glass.”
Johan is the third generation winemaker at legendary Simonsig Wine Estate. Johan upholds the family winemaking legacy and took over the reins from his pioneering father, Frans Malan.
He has left his own imprint on the wines of Simonsig during his career. It was a memorable milestone in the history of this family-owned estate when the 50th anniversary of Simonsig was celebrated in 2018 to commemorate the first bottling of Simonsig Steen in 1968.
The international reputation of the famous Kaapse Vonkel Cap Classique flourished under his guidance with the expansion of the range. The weathered shale and decomposed granite soils serve as the best starting point to grow premium quality wines and his commitment over many years has established Simonsig as a leading producer of red, white and Cap Classique wines.
In 1992 he founded the Cap Classique Association which led the category to grow immensely in the domestic and international market. Johan has been a member of the CWG since 1984 and twice served as chairman. It was a proud moment in his career when his son, Michael Frans, joined the Simonsig team as red winemaker after working in Australia and in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. He is the third generation Malan to qualify with a BSc in viticulture and oenology at Stellenbosch University.