Meet the Makers

The brand-owning shareholders are entrepreneurs, dreamers, sportsmen and adventurers. They have explored every corner of South Africa through the lens of commerce, creativity and recreation – and this curiosity is now captured in a new wine brand, escape, that is driven by innovation, integrity, and interest.

It takes great courage to purchase a piece of land and daring vision to imagine what could be realised from its potential.

While architects and viticulturists were hard at work laying the foundations of the dream, the first key elements of the property were defined.

Proteas and vineyards were planted – these being the bounty that will be grown and carefully cultivated in the area. The vineyards are now mature enough to bear harvest-ready fruit.

The vineyard-to-bottle production process is being managed by David Nieuwoudt of Cederberg Wines. A familiar personality in wine circles locally and abroad, David and his team craft wines that are precise in their design of matching terroir to style, and producing an end product that both delights and intrigues the end customer. David, now the fifth shareholder in the novel escape collection, brings his craftsmanship and expertise to define the product collection – which will be ever-evolving.

The first building on the property was the stoep – and appropriately this building is situated between the vineyards and near the owners’ homes. The stoep is a humble gathering space – a space to meet, to share, to laugh, to dream, to escape. The owners have been family friends and business associates for many years … and the richness of this relationship has spilled over into their children, creating a beautiful, unforced opportunity for continuity in the escape brand legacy.

The interaction between the owners is always filled with laughter, warmth, and delicious food and wine. In their new homes, features on the farm and other details of their lives, there is a true appreciation for aesthetics and architecture, beautiful experiences, compelling design, travel and human-to-human interactions – all things that will be crafted as integral into the escape brand positioning, product offering and brand communication.

Escape is about living the dream … and the owners with their appetite for life lived well are the makers not only of a wine collection but the dream itself.