The Mentors - Izele van Blerk

Since its launch in 2006, The Mentors range has established itself as one of the most sought-after premium brands in the South African wine landscape. Built around a philosophy of expressing terroir and pioneering new wines and wine-making techniques, it’s a portfolio that showcases the founding philosophy of KWV, and the rich history and depth of expertise at one of South Africa’s leading wine producers. The insights and boundary-breaking approach from this unique cellar, often home to post-graduate oenology students trialling pioneering new winemaking techniques, lead to remarkable terroir-driven wines that deserved their own spotlight. Though the first wines were bottled in 2006, it was in 2009 that The Mentors range took flight.  Situated on the outskirts of Paarl, the vast KWV production cellars are, at 24 hectares, the largest single winery in the southern hemisphere, producing upwards of 15 million litres of wine each year. Yet hidden away beneath the sea of warehouse roofs and rows of massive fermentation tanks you’ll find a special corner of this award-winning cellar; a tiny space of small tanks and hand-labelled barrels. This is the home of The Mentors. So, who are the mentors behind our name? They are all the teachers, the people over the centuries of winemaking who have brought us to where we are today.  All the skill and the knowledge that has been passed on from one generation to the next has resulted in what is today’s The Mentors. Our team’s visionary approach and exceptional craftmanship today is a culmination of this collective, deep understanding of terroir and winemaking.The Mentors is about human ability. About having the insight to recognize what Mother Nature is providing in each unique vineyard, in a specific harvest, and to have the curiosity to find the best way to express its distinct qualities.