Bowen Botha of Robertson Winery was awarded Vinpro honorary membership.

Vinpro recently awarded Bowen Botha, managing director of Robertson Winery, with honorary membership for his contribution to the South African wine industry.

“There are few people in the wine industry who have such a wide knowledge of the industry and its related organisations as Bowen,” said Vinpro chairman Anton Smuts during the handover ceremony in Paarl. “This is precisely why he was asked to serve on a variety of boards, councils and committees. His honest and well thought-through opinions are also respected by those in the industry.”

Bowen, who has been associated with Robertson Winery since 1982, has campaigned for the sustainability of the South African wine industry for almost four decades. He was a founding member of the former Wine Cellars South Africa (WCSA), Wines of South Africa (WoSA), the SA Wine and Brandy Company and the Robertson Wine Valley. His further involvement also includes the SAWIS board, Wine and Spirits Board technical committees, Winetech advisory board and the Wine Charter Steering Committee that compiled the first BEE scorecard for the wine industry.

Following the merger of WCSA and Vinpro in 2013, Bowen made a valuable contribution as cellar director on Vinpro’s board, executive committee and financial committee before retiring at the end of 2014. He is also a member of the task force that formulated and continues to drive the wine industry’s WISE (Wine Industry Strategic Exercise) strategic framework since 2015.

“Bowen is the driving force behind many socio-economic initiatives in his area and the industry as a whole. He strongly believes in ethical trade and transformation with sustainable motives and outcomes,” says Anton. Among other things, Bowen initiated and helped grow Constitution Road, one of the first successful broad-based black economic empowerment farms in the Robertson region.

“By awarding the Vinpro honorary membership to Bowen, we thank him for his significant contribution to the prosperity and sustainability of the South African wine industry,” says Anton.

Since 2017 Vinpro has honoured persons who make a substantial contribution to the organisation and the South African wine industry. Danie de Wet of De Wetshof Wine Estate in Robertson, Pieter Hugo of Hugoskraal in Rawsonville and Johann Krige of Kanonkop Wine Estate near Stellenbosch were awarded honorary membership in 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES:
Wanda Augustyn
Vinpro Communications Manager
Tel: 021 276 0458
E-mail: wanda@wineland.co.za