Awarded the Tim Atkin Legend Award on Monday 2 September at the launch of the Tim Atkin MW report on South African wines for 2024 and tasting of 95+ point wines
Günter Brözel was the cellarmaster at Nederburg from 1956 to 1989. A maverick, he is known for his exceptionally high standards.
Thereafter he joined Neethlingshof for 10 years where he was also instrumental in the successful reconstruction of the Neethlingshof Estate and Stellenzicht wineries.
He then “semi-retired” and till today is still a legend who stays in touch with industry matters.
He celebrated his 90th birthday earlier this year.
Günter Brözel was born in Germany and was a graduate of the State Teaching and Research Institute for Viticulture and Fruit Growing in Weinsberg (Württemberg). His first choice was to study music, but he followed in his father’s footsteps and qualified as a cooper before studying wine. However, his love for music stayed and he could play the piano and church organ like a maestro through the years. He was also a member of the famous German Choir in Paarl.
In 1956, the then owner of the Nederburg Winery in Paarl , Johann Georg Graue, ( a German viticulturist, brewer and tea specialist, who bought Nederburg in 1937) hired him as Technical Director after the death of his son in a plane crash in 1955 at Youngsfield in Cape Town. After Johann Graue’s death in 1959 Günter took over the business. Günter Brözel established the world reputation of this winery, he worked there for 33 years until 1989. He then retired and handed over the reins of Nederburg cellar-master to Newald Marais, a talented winemaker who worked alongside Brözel since 1976.
He played a leading role in building Nederburg’s reputation as the most awarded winery in South Africa. He is an icon in South African winemaking.
A maven and a maverick, he is known for his exceptionally high standards. Getting around on a 250cc BSA motorcycle, he checked on everyone and everything to ensure his exacting demands were met. He was a pioneer in all aspects, introducing many important improvements to vineyard management and winemaking techniques, later adopted by others.
In 1985, he became the first winemaker in South Africa to earn the Robert Mondavi International Winemaker of the Year Trophy at the International Wine and Spirit Competition. He was a great pioneer and created the first South African noble late harvest wine, Edelkeur, in 1969, which was launched at the first Nederburg Auction in 1975 and was sold exclusively at the Auction. The renowned Edelkeur wine made from botrytised Chenin blanc was intended to rival the famous Sauterne, Tokaij and Trockenbeerenauslese wines, and has earned Nederburg considerable international kudos over the years. He also brought about a change in the law which was amended to recognise this new category of wine. Günter was also one of the initiators of the “Nederburg Wine Auction” where Edelkeur was sold.
He won the Diners Club Award twice, in 1983 and 1985.
He was honoured by the KWV on 2nd February 1986 and awarded the KWV Vintage Commemorative Scroll.
In 2009 he was one of the first recipients of the Living Legends Scroll of the SA Wine Industry at the Veritas Wine Awards Gala dinner.
The 1982 vintage of Nederburg Auction Cabernet Sauvignon – in magnums – was served at the inauguration of President Nelson Mandela in 1994. President Mandela was also very fond of Nederburg Edelkeur and he was presented with a case of this golden nectar every year on his birthday.
The famous Robert Mondavi hailed the 1974 Nederburg Auction Cabernet Sauvignon – rated by many people as one of the best Cabs from SA from the previous century – as one of his best ten red wines that he tasted in his career when he was guest speaker at the Nederburg Auction in 1992. Decanter has called the 1974 wine a legend and recounts that when iconic US winemaker Robert Mondavi tasted it in 1992, he exclaimed: “‘Rapture! ….Still fresh and juicy with lovely structure….Long and lingering finish. Magnificent!’
Emile Joubert, wine writer paid this tribute in an article in 2023 when Nederburg Baronne was 50 years old: “And 50 years later, the Baronne legend lives on. I just hope the South African wine industry is doing enough to ensure that the legacy of our great wine pioneers, such as Maestro Brözel, also remain intact and are given the respect and the place in history they deserve.”
