Charl grew up in Wellington, surrounded by vineyards and mountains. In this small town there was always an atmosphere of excitement during harvest season with tractors full of grapes driving through the streets and harvest festivals a plenty. Having always loved the outdoors there was a natural draw for Charl towards viticulture from a young age which developed into a love for wine and eventually winemaking. After school Charl went to study BSc Viticulture and Oenology at Stellenbosch University and thereafter completed his Masters degree in winemaking.
Following his studies Charl worked at a industry leading winery for 10 years gaining experience. During this time Charl also spent some time abroad working a harvest in France at Vieux Chateau Certan in Bordeaux.
Charl says he has been blessed with amazing wine mentors as a young winemaker and will forever be grateful to those people. Then there were also some unforgettable wines that have ignited his passion for winemaking. The most memorable being Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires 1995 and Le Pin 1990.
Over time Charl has realized the importance of the quality of vineyards in winemaking. For Charl the role of a winemaker is to respect, protect and accentuate what the grapevine offers. Charl believes that if you can manage that there is a good chance the resulting wines will showcase the terroir and be of excellent quality. At the end it is all about faith, balance and respecting the grapes.
Furthermore, a winemaker is only as strong as the team he/she is surrounded by and fortunately Charl is blessed to work with an amazing team at Boschendal.