Morne Els joins Paul Clüver Family Wines as National Sales Representative from 20 October.
Els, who was formerly involved with the Stellenbosch Collection including Rust en Vrede Estate and Guardian Peak Wines, holds a B Comm degree from the University of Stellenbosch specialising in logistics and entrepreneurship.
As a wine businessman with a particular fondness for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Els says he looks forward to working for one of South Africa’s pioneering family wine estates which has a proven track-record of excellence.
Morne Els, new national sales representative at Paul Clüver Family Wines.
“Paul Clüver has built a fantastic reputation of making consistently excellent wines, as well as being a leader in sustainable wine production and having great personality through the hands-on involvement of the Clüver family,” he says.
“Its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are some of the best our country has to offer and compete with the best wines in the world. I think that even though Paul Clüver Wines are well recognised, the brand has huge potential to grow even further. And working on such a beautiful estate in the magnificent Elgin wine region is most definitely a bonus.”
Due to his previous position, Els is familiar with the Meridian system of wine distribution, logistics and networks as well as knowing most of the region’s sales consultants, managers and top management, allowing him to hit the ground running in his new position with Paul Clüver Family Wines.
Els sees his new role as matching the revitalised Paul Clüver branding with the winery’s vision to show further growth over the next five years.
“I truly hope that I can be part of and influence that growth,” he says. “The quality and volumes of the wines are there, it’s my job to facilitate and solidify the sales strategy, and extend the reach of the wines into places they haven’t been before.”
Paul Clüver, owner and winemaker at Paul Clüver Family Wines.
Paul Clüver: International Chardonnay recognition
In July 2022, the international recognition of Chardonnay as a leading South African wine offering received another boost at the Decanter World Wine Awards, with Paul Clüver from Elgin being one of two Cape Chardonnays to receive a Platinum award and 97 point score at a show described as the world’s most influential wine competition.
Paul Clüver Estate, a pioneer of viticulture and winemaking in the cool-climate Elgin region, received a Platinum award for its revered icon Seven Flags Chardonnay 2020, one of only five South African wines to stake a claim in the Platinum category.
Over 18 200 wines from 54 countries were judged at this year’s Decanter Wine Awards.
According to Paul Clüver, CEO of the Paul Clüver Estate, this award underscores the international recognition of the quality of South African Chardonnay, which must now be seen as one of the country’s major wine offerings.
“Chardonnay is not for nothing the most planted white grape in the world,” says Paul. “The fact is wine drinkers all over recognise what Chardonnay offers in terms of its dazzlingly diverse flavour profile and the variety’s ability to express the geographical source where the grapes are grown,” he says.
About Paul Clüver
Paul Cluver Wines is a family owned and family run winery, focused on producing world class wines that reflect the uniqueness of the cool-climate Elgin terroir. The family is proud to have pioneered the Elgin appellation and for being a leader in sustainable farming.
“This remains the benchmark Elgin producer of wine and in their Seven Flags Chardonnay, Andries Burger has conjured one of the standouts of the vintage, white or red. Just a showstopper of a Chardonnay that gives a lot of Burgundy a run for its money (and I’ve tasted a lot of white Burgundy). If you want to know how good South African whites can be, then look no further than Paul Cluver.” – Neal Martin from Robert Parker
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