With dad Danie tending the vineyards and brother Willie as a winemaker, Roux Conradie (25) had two great role models in the wine industry. In 2019 he enrolled at Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute to study viticulture and horticulture, and in 2021 he had the privilege of becoming SRC chairperson. He completed his first harvest at Van Loveren that year. “I enjoyed it so much that I joined them again for the 2022 harvest season,” he says.
That same year Roux joined Saronsberg Cellar as a viticulturist, where the former winemaker, Dewaldt Heyns, took him under his wing. “Dewaldt is not only an amazing winemaker, but also an exceptional viticulturist,” Roux says. “He set the norm on how things should be done and trust me when I say, it should be done to perfection. I was privileged enough to work with Dewaldt for 10 months before he left Saronsberg.”
But when it comes to people who’ve supported him with advice and guidance, Roux reserves most of his praise for his dad, Danie, who’s a unit manager at Van Loveren and has been a farmer all his life. “We both have passion for what we do and take pride in doing it,” Roux says. “I’m unbelievably grateful to have him as a dad.”
The highlight of Roux’s time at Saronsberg is seeing all the hard work the team put in throughout the year come to fruition during the 2024 harvest season. Being a small part of that effort left a deep impression on him. “It involved a lot of planning and stressing behind the scenes on my part, but none of it would have been possible without our amazing farmworkers,” he says. “They’re the real heroes!”
Roux is also excited about Vinpro’s Gen-Z project as Saronsberg is the site of the first Gen-Z demo blocks to be established in the Tulbagh wine region. “We planted six different Shiraz clones here,” he says. “Just think about all the different flavours, colours, which clones work better in what soil types... the list is endless. And that’s just for a single cultivar!”
Roux tries to learn as much as possible along the way. “There are so many factors that come into play when planning for your new season – small things you do differently can have a big impact in the end,” he says. “The best thing is that you’re faced with different challenges each season. For now, my main goal is to gain the necessary experience and learn from all the mistakes so that one day I can be the best viticulturist I can possibly be.”
He has a small but valuable piece of advice for anyone starting out in the wine industry. “If you’re unsure about something, ask! There are so many people in our industry with years and years of experience. You have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
Roux will always cherish the memory of his first harvest at Van Loveren. “I was one of the harvest machine operators. I woke up at one in the morning and drove to the block to see my dad already waiting there,” he recalls. “After a long day’s work Willie, who was assistant winemaker at Van Loveren at the time, and I would sit on the stoep with my dad and just talk about how the day went over a glass of wine. The coolest thing was that we all played a special role in making the wine we were drinking.”
Rapid fire Q&A
- Favourite wine ever tasted? Our own Saronsberg Sauvignon Blanc.
- Favourite bingeworthy TV show? Ted Lasso.
- Favourite pick-me-up song? Anything by Zach Bryan.
- Least-known fact about you? I’m a huge Binnelanders fan!
- Ideal holiday destination? Anywhere with the sea and a golf course close by.
Follow Roux Instagram at @rouxconradie. or connect with him on LinkedIn.