VERITAS 2023

11 LIVING LEGENDS 2023

GERT BOERSSEN Gert originates from Caledon, where he matriculates in 1968 and, following a year in military service, he studies at the University of Stellenbosch. He obtains his BSc agricultural degree in viticulture and winemaking in 1973. His first post was as researcher at the Nietvoorbij Research Institute outside Stellenbosch before joining Boland Cellar in Paarl in 1977 as winemaker. Three years later he moves on to Nuwehoop Cellar in Rawsonville as cellar manager. Gert accepts service at Wellington Wine Cellar 1982 as cellarmaster, where plays a pivotal role during the next 30 years in developing the cellar’s quality wines. He makes a considerable contribution in 2011 when becoming head winemaker with the merging of Wellington Wynboere and Wamakersvallei Cellar and soon afterwards also Bovlei Cellar. He was instrumental in getting the cellar members together to collaborate, and so also the various staff members at the cellar. Gert retired in 2014 after serving for some years as production manager of Wellington Wines. He settles on his farm at Napier. JOHAN EHLERS Johan, Free State born from the Sasolburg area, studied BSc Agric at the University of Stellenbosch after his military service. After 12 years at the former Rural Foundation, he is appointed as marketing manager at the Cape of Good hope Agricultural Society in 1996. The marketing name for the Society, Agri-Expo, is established in the same year. Johan serves Agri-Expo for 26 years until the end of 2022. During this period, he acts as chief executive officer and succeeds in establishing the Agri-Expo marketing brand on national and international platforms. Johan played a leading role in establishing the South African Cheese Festival, which among others, received the award as Best Exhibition in Africa” six times. He established the partnership between Veritas-awarded wines and the SA Cheese Festival and the Veritas brand becomes synonymous with the SA Cheese Festival. Under his banner the Qualité Mark of quality is built out to an established brand for South African Dairy products and these quality products are introduced to the public together with Veritas wines over many years at the well-known Veritas public tastings annually. In the late 1990s, Johan facilitates, on behalf of the Agri-Expo Board, the first financial awards to the then cultivar work groups established by the SANWSA to assist them with administrative costs and the presentation of technical seminars. This was the preamble to the established cultivar associations. Together with the Agri-Expo Board, Johan entrusted the presentation and judging of the SA Young Wine Show to the SANWSA and contributed to the fact that the Society is still in a valuable partnership with the SANWSA and the industry as the Young Wines Show’s owner after so many years. At international level Johan was a trustee on the board of the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth and often delivered addresses for them overseas. Johan has for 21 years – from 2001 – acted as Board Member for the SA National Wine Show Association, including three years on the executive committee.