Christian Wilderer and Andre Pretorius
South Africa
Christian Wilderer and Andre's Wines
- South Africa
- 1 wine
- 0 styles
Market Price:
£39.99
Angel Price:
£29.99
Angels Save:
£10.00
Market Price:
£39.99
Angel Price:
£29.99
Angels Save:
£10.00
Artisanal craft gin makers from South Africa's first, and most awarded distillery
- Christian’s father Helmut was the pioneer behind spirit distilling in South Africa and when craft gin started to become trendy, Christian convinced his dad that they just had to make one.
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It took 3 years to perfect their first recipe, but once they had it, they quickly won international gold and the awards have kept rolling in since then.
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Now working alongside main distiller Andre, another Helmut devotee, Christian is continuing his father’s legacy with a passion and a skill for creating world-class spirits. Their Wilderer Fynbos Angel’s Reserve has been made especially for you and captures the natural elegance and beauty of South Africa.
Christian Wilderer and Andre Pretorius's Story
My father was the man behind the product and master distiller until he sadly passed away in December 2016 from cancer.
He was 75 years old but strong and never sick. We didn’t think he would lose his 10 month battle. His role was the development and production of our fine spirits. We are SA’s first private distillery and Helmut was a pioneer - The father of craft distilling in South Africa. Having won over 70 international medals and awards, we are also SA’s most awarded distillery for what we do.
Until recently, I have always been primarily responsible for the marketing and sales. Of course I was involved in production from day one, but managing all other parts of our business and the two restaurants (serving between 13 and 21 000 guests a month), didn't allow me to concentrate much on the actual making of the product.
Because of this, my father started training a young man named Johan Monnig as his successor, and a distillery team including Andre Pretorius. They learnt under my dad’s wings for around three years and learnt his skills from the bottom up. Helmut was a very strict teacher of incredibly high standard and no room for negligence or short cuts. Sadly, Johan is also no longer with us but Andre has now stepped up as our main distiller, having been mentored by both my father and Johan.
Alongside Andre, I am very much involved in the production today and also often handle the entire process, from selecting the botanicals, macerating and distilling. Nevertheless, it would not be right for me to “claim the fame” myself.
Christian Wilderer, ginmaker