IT STANDS to reason that because members of the Cape Winemakers Guild include a number of South Africa's top cellarmasters, and as admission is by invitation only, whenever newcomers are welcomed on board it's meaningful to wine lovers looking for pointers regarding top quality, interesting stuff – CWG members' wines, especially those that they make for sale exclusively via the Guild's auctions, are among the country's very best in the opinion of their peers, who know their stuff.
The addition of three cellarmasters (see below) in December 2025 brought the number of CWG producer-members to 44 – click here for all the names and contact details.
Graham Weerts is the winemaker for Capensis, a Chardonnay specialist owned by Barbara Banke of Jackson Family Wines in Califoria, USA, whose SA brand home (Kliphuis) is in the Banghoek area of Stellenbosch, with rented cellar space at Simonsvlei in Paarl. The flagship in the range of Chardonnays is Fijnbosch, and all three are included in the SA Wine Classification showcasing consistently good panel ratings in recent years.
Danie Steytler is the cellarmaster at his family-owned-and-managed Kaapzicht estate and winery in the Bottelary area of Stellenbosch. The Steytlers specialise in Chenin Blanc, Pinotage and a Cape Blend, but they also have good reviews for their Cabernet Franc, Cinsaut and various others in their fairly extensive range of wines, five of which are Classified.
Wim Truter is the cellarmaster at Hannes Myburgh's Meerlust Estate on Baden Powell Drive in Stellenbosch, home of the renowned Rubicon, a Cape Bordeaux-style red blend. The team also specialise in Chardonnay, also Classified, with the range of wines including a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir.
