Through the years, the wine regions have undergone many changes, the varieties we now grow have broadened and our appreciation for wine is ever increasing. Many of these changes can be affiliated with the dedication and passion of South Africa's vintners, those Patriarchs of the industry who consistently strive for perfection. June is a bumper month with our spotlight turned on 6 giants of the industry. These legends, shall we say, are not just well known for their wines but also for their dedication to the art of vinification. Danie de Wet - De Wetshof Estate ; The King of Chardonnay Danie De Wet is recognized as the pioneer of white wine cultivars in South Africa and for his role in ensuring the industry's international competitiveness in the fields of vineyard practices, excellence in winemaking technology and promoting new grape cultivars. He has won numerous awards and shows no signs of slowing down, with his two sons also taking an active role in the estate. Watch him here Lourens Jonker and Philip Jonker - Weltevrede Estate; The Philosophers Philip joined his father, Lourens Jonker, in 1997 as winemaker after qualifying at the University of Stellenbosch. Weltevrede has often taken the lead and has numerous industry firsts including the 1st tasting room in Breedekloof and the production of the Bonnievale Districts first certified Wine of Origin in 1979. Lourens Jonker as chairman of KWV during the early 90's played a pivitol role in the de-regulation of the wine industry when KWV went from being a Co-op to a company. The Jonker family is dedicated to maintaining and utilizing the diversity of the terroir of Robertson valley, "It is the love for our soil that opened our eyes to the biodiversity around us." Watch him here Gary Jordan - Jordan Estate ; The individualist The Jordan philosophy is simple: Success begins in the vineyards. Gary is a geologist and his wife, Kathy, is a economist – together this husband and wife team is a formidable force "with the focus on producing fiercely individual wines that combine the fruity accessibility of the New World with the classic elegance of the old." Watch him here Ken Forrester - Ken Forrester Wines ; The King of Chenin Blanc As his ascribed title says, the legend of their FMC reaches far and wide and Chenin Blanc is their most planted variety. Ken does all the sales and marketing, travelling around the world promoting South Africa and their great wines, happy to pour any South African wine far from home and carry the flag. Watch him here Achim von Arnim - Haute Cabriere ; The tour-de-force Achim von Arnim is a man in love with life's zing. His seemingly boundless energy, his ever-inquiring mind and his love of phenomenal wine, art and poetry ensure that Achim is one of SA's most well-known wine personalities and occasionally you can catch a rare glimpse of him doing a sabrage. There is a passion that abounds and can be seen now in the life of Achim's son Takuan. Watch him here Zonnebloem - The Generationalists They are one of South Africa's oldest wine brands and the farm is tendered by the same families for over three generations. Duimpie began work in the Stellenbosch Farmers’ Winery in the 1960s and worked on the Zonnebloem brand from the early days. It was due to his ever-present influence that South Africa adopted the Wine of Origin legislation in 1973 -this allowed the National Wine bodies to protect both wine growers and wine drinkers. Watch him here For more articles and videos on our Who's your Daddy theme, view our June Spotlight page here