“We’re inquisitive, we’re daring, we’re experimental, and I think that’s what I like. I like pushing the boundaries; I like bringing art into it as long as the final product is pure and beautiful.”
As the son of a Windhoek hotelier, John has always been interested in wine. He recalls attending the Nederburg Auction at the age of 10 with his father and loving every minute of it! After various adventures, John went off to Elsenburg at the age of 25 to study winemaking, applied himself fanatically, and graduated as the dux student. After working at Môreson in Franschhoek, De Wetshof in Robertson and Graham Beck’s Robertson cellar, in 2001 he was offered the position of cellarmaster at Steenberg and has never looked back.
John’s dream has always been to produce his own wine and this finally materialised in 2004 with Silverthorn Wines’ maiden vintage. Silverthorn is a boutique producer specialising in Cap Classique-style wines made from grapes grown on their family farm in Robertson and is managed and marketed by his wife Karen.