Good news from Le Riche Wines: Christo Le Riche has been elected to the Cape Winemakers Guild!

 The Cape Winemakers Guild was established in 1982 to improve the quality of South African wine by tasting international benchmarks and sharing knowledge among its members. 

Christo le Riche: "The Guild and its members have played a crucial role in the development of my wine philosophy and skills, and I have always admired their conduct within our industry. To be acknowledged and accepted into the Guild is a great honor, and I hope I can give back in return." 

The Cape Winemakers Guild is committed to effecting real and meaningful transformation in the South African wine industry. Through the Cape Winemakers Guild Development Trust and the Protégé Program, they are working to reshape the industry for a better future for South African wine and those who produce it. 

WT-Wine is proud to announce the addition of two new wines from Le Riche to its selection. Le Riche founder, Etienne le Riche, began his career in the mid-70s and was soon recognized as one of the best Cabernet Sauvignon producers in South Africa. By 1982, he had created some of the most sought-after wines in the country. However, it was his dream of owning his own winery that led him to establish Le Riche in 1996. 

The bespoke winery was initially operated from Jonkershoek, Stellenbosch, in an old cellar that required significant renovation. With great attention to detail, Etienne carefully modernized the space and started production. During this time, he also established the business model for Le Riche, which continues to source the highest quality grapes from a close network of trusted growers. This gave him the freedom to focus on the winemaking process, a deliberate decision on Etienne's part. 

In 2010, Etienne was joined by his children, Yvonne and Christo, to help with the growing business. One of their first tasks was finding a new home for Le Riche wines, which eventually led to their own vineyard in the lower Helderberg region, where the cellar is now located. With the freedom to build their cellar from scratch, the winery design was influenced by the previous cellar in Jonkershoek, ensuring consistency in wine style. With traditional open-top concrete fermentation tanks and a minimal intervention winemaking approach, the winery provides a platform to create ultra-premium red wines in a classic South African style. 

The first vintage from the new cellar was released in 2014. Today, Le Riche is managed by four core members, including Cellarmaster Christo le Riche, Cape Wine Master Yvonne le Riche, Commercial Manager Francois le Riche, and Assistant Winemaker Mark Daniels. While founder Etienne le Riche is now retired, he still serves in an advisory role to ensure the winery continues to strive for the expression of the finest possible Cabernet. 
Their efforts have not gone unnoticed at Tim Atkin. Over the past years, they have received multiple awards and accolades. They were even included in Tim Atkin's South Africa 2022 Special Report as a Second Growth Winery.