Eight Gates Wine Blends Heritage And Community In A New Era Of South African Winemaking

Eight Gates Wine is changing the way South Africans experience wine. The brand owners focus on enjoyment, accessibility and community, and invite wine lovers to slow down, celebrate special moments and try top-quality wines that are easy to enjoy and memorable.

Eight Gates Wine began with a friendship that’s lasted more than 30 years. Kolja Stürmer and Carlo Suter met in 1990 at the German International School Cape Town. After matric they went their separate ways, with Carlo taking up cabinetmaking in Switzerland before studying winemaking at Stellenbosch, while Kolja worked in landscaping, finance and business in Europe and South Africa. But over the years their shared world view and love of wine endured.

The idea for the brand began in 2023 when Kolja discovered a 45-year-old Chenin Blanc vineyard in Tulbagh. Although small, it produced high-quality grapes. The owners were also offering the grapes for free. He saw the potential and immediately teamed up with Carlo to make their first batch of wine. They shared half of the 2 000 bottles with the farm owners and kept the rest. This was only the beginning.

By the time the World Cup came around in 2023, they were still looking for a name for their wine baby. While watching the second half of the final between the Springboks and New Zealand, it felt symbolic. They had both just turned 50 and saw themselves starting the second half of their life, which was now defined by purpose and perspective.

The first name they thought of was Second Half, but it had already been taken in Europe. As they continued the search, a book, The Second Half of Life: Opening the Eight Gates of Wisdom, popped up. The phrase “eight gates” stood out for them. They wanted a name that reflected their stage in life and the idea of eight gates was a perfect fit, since each step in making wine feels like opening a new gate to create something special. “The gate is not a barrier, it’s an opening,” Carlo says. “You have to go through many gates to get to where you want to go.”

Starting a business is always tricky, which is why they’re keeping it small. “The real opportunity lies in storytelling and working with people we trust,” Kolja says. Every relationship with the growers and merchants is built on friendship and shared values. “That’s what makes Eight Gates authentic.”

Behind the bottle Since the small production of Chenin Blanc from Tulbagh, the range has grown to include a Pinotage and Cinsault from Carlo’s farm in the Breede River Valley. Both vineyards are around 25 years old and produce concentrated, low-yield fruit. They also source Syrah from Karibib Farm on the Polkadraai Hills and a Bordeaux-style blend from Yonder Hill Farm on the Helderberg slopes, which combines Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc in various amounts each year.

To be part in the Breedekloof Makers’ project, they also produce a second Chenin Blanc from Opstal, which is fermented and matured in oak. “Most of these vineyard connections came about by chance,” Carlo says. “It was a matter of hearing about someone, making a call and asking if we could buy a few grapes.”

Carlo’s winemaking philosophy emphasises precision, patience and minimal intervention. “It starts with getting the best grapes possible from the right site,” he says. “Then it’s about doing the right thing at the right time. I try not to intervene too much, only where necessary. The goal is to make honest wine, not to follow a formula.”

The current wine range includes two Chenins and a Pinotage, Cinsault, Syrah and Bordeaux blend. For the time being, all the wines are sold locally, but the plan is to reach international markets too. Up until now, the critics and customers’ response has been positive. Both vintages sent to Tim Atkin MW scored in the 90s and Winemag’s Christian Eedes also praised them. At tastings, people are often pleasantly surprised. “We notice that the spittoons stay quite empty when we pour,” Kolja says with a laugh. He believes this shows that their patient, quality-focused approach is paying off.

Together towards tomorrow Although Eight Gates Wine is a two-man show, Kolja says there’s a lot of co-parenting their baby in the background. “Eight Gates couldn’t have happened without the people around us,” he says. “We asked questions, shared experiences and learned from others.” They relied on guidance from the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), feedback from friends in the trade and insights from people such as David Niewoudt and Gottfried Mocke. It has always been a team effort. Community is a key part of how they approach South African wine. “As South Africans, our wines stand up to the best.”

“Sometimes the world overlooks us, but the quality is there,” Carlo adds. “We just have to back ourselves and keep building on what the industry has achieved over the past few decades. Local is baie lekker.” He also underlines how people in the local wine industry work together. “People are open to helping one another. The knowledge and skills here are excellent. There’s real potential when people work together.”

Besides earning praise from critics, Eight Gates has reached some important milestones, such as being featured on the wine lists of top Cape Town restaurants such as Therapy, Aubergine, Seabreeze, Tannin and Lunacy, and being stocked by boutique wine stores such as Wine Concepts, Wine Menu, Wyn, The Wine Shop, The Vineyard Connection, Furnys, Old Cape Wine Store, Urban Wines and Yuppiechef. “This recognition matters,” Kolja says. “It shows that people trust what we’re doing.”

The two friends plan to grow steadily and try new things. They hope to boost production from about 6 000 bottles to 20 000 a year and also start exporting to the UK and Europe. “We want to grow without losing what makes us who we are,” Kolja says. “We might add a Chardonnay or try a special project, but our main wines will stay at the heart of what we do. It’s about quality, relationships and enjoying the process.”

To explore more articles in our March issue, Local is lekker, purchase our digital or print magazine here.