Slanghoek

Meet our team

Passion meets perfection

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PIETER CARSTENS – Cellarmaster

Cellarmaster Pieter Carstens knows the Breede River Valley well, having acquired winemaking and managerial experience at Boland Cellar, Koelenhof, Groot Eiland and McGregor Cellar before being appointed to his current position at the helm of Slanghoek. His extensive international experience includes visits to the winemaking regions of California, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Italy, as well as marketing tours to the UK, Poland, Russia and the USA. He is a certified and experienced wine show judge who regularly serves on Veritas and SA Young Wine Show panels, as well as the Wine and Spirit Board. He also belongs to two wine circles and is an avid jogger.

PIETER CARSTENS – Cellarmaster

Cellarmaster Pieter Carstens knows the Breede River Valley well, having acquired winemaking and managerial experience at Boland Cellar, Koelenhof, Groot Eiland and McGregor Cellar before being appointed to his current position at the helm of Slanghoek. His extensive international experience includes visits to the winemaking regions of California, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Italy, as well as marketing tours to the UK, Poland, Russia and the USA. He is a certified and experienced wine show judge who regularly serves on Veritas and SA Young Wine Show panels, as well as the Wine and Spirit Board. He also belongs to two wine circles and is an avid jogger.

NICO GRUNDLING – Senior Winemaker

Senior winemaker Nico Grundling was born in Keimoes and received his tertiary education at Stellenbosch University and Elsenburg Agricultural College. He worked at Uitvlucht Winery in Montagu before joining the Slanghoek team in 2002 as assistant winemaker, and has since traveled to Languedoc, France for a harvest season. When he is not focusing his time and energy on the production of fine wines, Nico also enjoys fishing and hunting. He is married to Janelle and they have two sons.

WERNER DU PLESSIS – Winemaker

Red winemaker, Werner du Plessis, joined the Slanghoek winemaking team in August 2014. After matriculating from Montagu High School he did his very first harvest at Slanghoek in 1999 . After completing his B Agric degree in Viticulture, Wine and Cellar Management at Elsenburg he was assistant winemaker at Hazendal for 3 years followed by 3 years as winemaker at Creation Wines. He loves the fact that nature plays such an important part in winemaking and that the challenges are different every year. He is married to Dr Mandy du Plessis and in his spare time he enjoys fresh water fishing and hunting.

WERNER DU PLESSIS – Red Winemaker

Red winemaker, Werner du Plessis, joined the Slanghoek winemaking team in August 2014. After matriculating from Montagu High School he did his very first harvest at Slanghoek in 1999 . After completing his B Agric degree in Viticulture, Wine and Cellar Management at Elsenburg he was assistant winemaker at Hazendal for 3 years followed by 3 years as winemaker at Creation Wines. He loves the fact that nature plays such an important part in winemaking and that the challenges are different every year. He is married to Dr Mandy du Plessis and in his spare time he enjoys fresh water fishing and hunting.

JACQUES DE GOEDE – Assistant Winemaker

Jacques de Goede was raised in Wellington, where he gained a wealth of practical agricultural experience working on his parents’ farm. After completing his agricultural management studies, he worked at Le Grand Chasseur in Robertson and spent a harvest season at Hugues de Beauvignac in France before joining the Slanghoek winemaking team full-time in 2000. In his spare time Jacques enjoys a glass of wine, reading and the occasional round of golf.

ELAINE CONRADIE – Assistant Winemaker

After she matriculated at Durbanville High School, Elaine Conradie studied viticulture and oenology at Elsenburg Agricultural Institute. She has done harvests at Havana Hills in Durbanville and at Stonestreet Winery in California. In 2014 she started working at Tuebes Family Wines as assistant winemaker for almost three years before joining the Slanghoek team in 2016. Elaine enjoys playing guitar and loves a good glass of wine with friends.

ELAINE CONRADIE – Winemaker

After she matriculated at Durbanville High School, Elaine Conradie studied viticulture and oenology at Elsenburg Agricultural Institute. She has done harvests at Havana Hills in Durbanville and at Stonestreet Winery in California. In 2014 she started working at Tuebes Family Wines as assistant winemaker for almost three years before joining the Slanghoek team in 2016. Elaine enjoys playing guitar and loves a good glass of wine with friends.

JOHANNES MELLET – Viticulturist

Johannes obtained his BSc in Agriculture from Stellenbosch University. Farming and the cultivation of grapes and wine are Johannes’s greatest passions. The science and numbers behind it are the heartbeat of our industry. He has accumulated 25 years of experience in Stellenbosch, Swartland, Robertson, Klein Karoo, and Olifants River. He has also expanded his experience with study tours to wine grape regions in France, Hungary, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Australia. He enjoys the outdoors, sports, and spending time with his family. Johannes and Maléza have been married for 17 years and have two sons.