A tribute to a gentle giant
Remembering Arco Laarman – who poured his heart and soul into every bottle.
A few words from Johan...
I knew Arco from the very start of our winemaking days back in the early 2000s, it feels like a lifetime ago now. We shared many laughs, lessons and life experiences over the years.
He was a gentle giant – tall, soft-spoken, a little shy – but once he opened up, he had this warmth that could light up a room. He loved deeply, especially his wife Madeleine and daughter Zaria. Food and wine were how he showed his heart. I’ll never forget those joyful dinners at his place – the fire pit roaring, the smell of woodsmoke in the air… he poured that same love into every bottle he made. And you could taste it.
Losing him so suddenly reminds us all to cherish life, and savour every moment with the people you love. You never know when you’ll get the opportunity again. Arco, we miss you, and I hope to see you again someday.
Johan Kruger - Winemaker
Here’s to you, Arco
Arco Laarman didn’t come from a winemaking family. He grew up by a lake in a little town called Kosmos, where the nearest vines were hours away. But after a childhood trip to the Cape, he fell in love with wine. Not the taste – he was only 12 after all – but the craft. The cellars. The barrels. The way wine could bottle a moment in time.
“After this holiday, I bought my first wine magazine with Pieter Ferreira on the cover which at that time only cost 5 Rand and would read up on everything and everyone. My mother took me to the then Stellenbosch Wine Route tastings to learn more about the industry.”
At 19, he moved to the Cape to pursue his dream. After early harvests at Kaapzicht and bottling stints across the region, he was offered a job at Glen Carlou – one of South Africa’s most prestigious estates. By 2009, he was already Head Winemaker.
Arco wasn’t done there...
In 2016, he went independent, crafting expressive, soulful wines from carefully sourced grapes across the Western Cape. He loved Chardonnay and had a soft spot for Cinsault too. His Cluster Series paid tribute to the people who helped him along the way… mum, dad, his siblings, and many friends made through wine.
His greatest love, though, was for his wife Madeleine and daughter Zaria. Family meant everything to him.
Arco joined Naked during the Covid crisis, introduced by his friend Johan Kruger. He’d been down after a tough battle with cancer, but with your support he found his feet again, and started helping other winemakers who were in trouble too.
That’s just the man he was. Kind. Generous. Humble.
Today, we raise a glass to the man who poured his heart into every bottle – and gave more than he ever asked for.
Arco’s lasting legacy
It doesn't feel right for us to make anything from the sale of Arco's final bottles.
That’s why every penny of profit from his remaining wines will go towards a fund to cover his daughter Zaria’s full education – giving her the opportunities and security he would have wanted for her.
As of September 2026, we’ve already contributed £28,000 to Zaria's trust fund, thanks to you.
In this way, Arco’s generosity of spirit lives on. He’s still looking out for his family, and still leaving the world a better place than he found it.
The impact of your support, in Madeleine’s words.
When Toby first mentioned the idea, I was blown away by the generosity of Naked Wines for even considering something like this. More than that, it felt as though the Naked Wines community was stepping in where Arco physically no longer could, as if he was still looking out for us and making sure Zaria would be okay.
The financial security this gives Zaria for her future and her education is one thing, but the fact that such an incredibly kind suggestion has actually become a reality is something I still struggle to put into words.
This is not the first time that you have shown up for our family. Arco’s relationship with Naked Wines started during COVID, through the fund created to support independent winemakers like him. From there, it became so much more than simply selling wine. Arco was incredibly passionate about the wines he made, but he also loved being part of the Naked Wines community. He spent so much time chatting to the Angels in the groups, sharing his wines, his stories and himself. I would like to think that the personal connection he built with so many people is part of what has brought us to this moment.
I am also incredibly thankful to Naked Wines for making it possible for us to finish Arco’s final vintage of Laarman Wines. As difficult as it is to close that chapter, I am very proud that we were able to finish what he started and close it on such a special note.
There really are no words big enough for what this means to us. It is so much more than financial support for Zaria’s education. It is a reminder of the relationships Arco built, the people whose lives he touched and the legacy he left behind. To know that something he loved so much is now helping to take care of his little girl’s future is incredibly special.
