 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
OWNERS
John and Oliver Parker farm together
with their families living just metres apart. John is the elder of the
2 brothers. He is married to Lieva, of Belgian origin, who is in charge
of the export of the Altydgedacht wines. They have 3 daughters. Oliver
is married to Ruth, who is currently studying the conservation of the
renosterveld and they have 3 sons.The cousins have played many a cricket
or soccer match on the farm lawn. They love to visit their granny, Jean
Parker, who also lives on the farm and who enthrals them with stories
of her past.
JOHN PARKER (Viticulturist) His interests include sailing, microlighting and exploration
of remote areas in Africa. |
|
OLIVER PARKER
(Cellar Master) Oliver studied Viticulture and Oenology at Stellenbosch University. He then travelled overseas extensively, working in California, Australia and New Zealand. Oliver is a true farmer at heart.He believes in producing the highest quality grapers and carrying over the flavour and varietal characteristics of the fruit into the wine. Oliver is a nature lover and pursues outdoor activities. He enjoys travelling to remote parts of Southern Africa. He is a family man who believes in strong family traditions. |
|
ETIENNE LOUW (Winemaker) Etienne joined the Altydgedacht winemaking team in January 2006. He holds degrees in Chemical Engineering as well Viticulture and Oenology from the University of Stellenbosch. No stranger to Altydgedacht, Etienne assisted Oliver during the 2001 and 2002 harvests. He has also completed two other harvests in South Africa and two in California. Etienne’s winemaking philosophy is simple: to express the quality of the fruit in the Altydgedacht vineyards in the estate’s range of wines. Etienne plays nylon-string guitar for the contemporary Afrikaans band Celsius, and enjoys cooking, wine tasting and jogging. |
|
JEAN
PARKER
Jean, wife of Denis Parker, was widowed in 1954, aged 29 and left with
2 small sons. She inherited her husband's third share of the property,
but was determined to carry out their plan of buying the farm from other
family members who had different professions. Formerly an art teacher,
this took many years of learning to make wine, to run a diary and run
a large mixed farm. The ideal was nevertheless achieved with the able
and dedicated help of manager Hennie Heydenrych.
Jean maintains a keen interest in all the farm activities and has the
added pleasure of the company of her grandchildren. Her many interests
include conservation of the rapidly disappearing Durbanville Fynbos and
Renosterveld, maintaining the national Heritage Site on the farm and helping
to research the history of the Durbanville area.
STAFF Many staff members have lived on the farm for generations. Surnames like Du Plooy, Rhode, Hansen and Arendse attest to the era of the Dutch East India Company. A primary school and church form part of a vibrant community life. Where possible, a policy of drawing management from this source is followed.Thus we have foreman, Abraham Hansen , whose father Hennie had seen the transition from horses to tractors. Marilyn from the Rhode family has been managing the cellar wine sales for the last 15 years. She has obtained a certificate at the Wine Academy. During her spare time, she is very involved in community work at the Cape Flats like counselling abused women and childeren and Aids prevention programmes. Adante Roux is part of the management team, with particular skill and experience in labour relations.He oversees the smooth running of the farming operations.
|
 |
 |
|