Esmarie Smuts

Esmarie Smuts took up Home Economics at the University of Stellenbosch but soon realized that her heart simply wasn’t in it.

Having grown up in a home which had a healthy respect and appreciation for good wine, Esmarie decided to do a wine course and, unexpectedly discovering her passion, she was firmly on the right track.

She was selected to study Cellar Technology at Elsenburg Agricultural College at a time when there were no female Winemakers in the industry and when an unwritten law seemed to exist that women aren’t able to make wine …. well, she’s certainly proved everybody wrong!

Esmarie first started work in a cellar as Assistant Winemaker in 1992, went on to become Winemaker at Merwespont cellar and is now one of Bonnievale Wine Cellar’s three Winemakers, two of whom are women!