Let’s rewind a little bit
The story of BESTER Family Wines begins in 1956, when Izak Johannes Bester was born to Manus and Mona Bester in Piketberg. The family later moved to Malmesbury, where Zakkie grew up.
Being the fourth and last-born, little Zakkie was everyone's witbroodjie right from the start.​ His given name, Izak, means 'he laughs' and no person on this planet as lived up to their name quite as intensively ever since.​ The man loves a lekker grappie, and has spent his life creating opportunities for merriment and revelry wherever he goes.
ZAKKIE BECAME A WINEMAKER BY HAPPY ACCIDENT
When he went to enroll for an agricultural degree at Elsenburg Agricultural College after returning from diensplig, all the spaces were filled. But, by divine provenance or glorious happenstance, there was a space left in the brand-new Cellar Technology course.
This is where, between 1976 and 1977, he would learn how to make wine and meet some of his favourite people on the planet. To this day, Zakkie is part of a league of silver-fox winemakers known as 'The Snifters' who get together a few times a year to 'taste each other's latest vintages' (AKA have a raucously good time).
The newly-qualified winemaker kicked off his career at Spier Estate, working on the farm Goedgeloof from 1978 to 1980. From there, he moved through the ranks of several respected wine cellars, including Boland Kelder (Daljosafat Cellar) between 1980 and 1983.
Then, one rainy evening at the Paarl Rugby Club, he met the truly stunning (and somewhat hardegat) Sandra Wilson, and his fate was sealed. The pair of starry-eyed lovebirds got married and moved to Robertson, where Zakkie worked at Rooiberg Wynkelder between 1983 to 1989. This is also where they produced their two daughters, Anna-Bet (1984) and Mona (1987).
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From here, the Besters shimmied on over to Worcester, where Zakkie worked as winemaker and cellar manager at De Wet Cellar between 1989 and 1999. It is during this time that Sandra and himself finally managed to produce the heir apparent, Hermanus Lambertus (Manus) Bester, in 1991.
At the turn of the century, the Besters moved back to the Swartland to settle in Riebeek Kasteel, where Zakkie served as Chief Executive Officer and Cellar Master at Riebeek Cellars (now Riebeek Valley Wine Co.) from 1999 until his retirement in October 2017.
And now comes the fun part!
After more than three decades working in cooperative wine cellars, Zakkie stepped away from big volumes and long meetings to do something more personal. He wanted to create wines that speak of time and place; wines with soul, made for sharing with family, friends, and the occasional lucky stranger who stays for a second (or third!) glass.
After all, the Swartland he returned to is more than our home. It’s our muse.