Rolanie Lotz – Celebrating Female Winemakers

Born and bred Paarl local, Rolanie Lotz has made a name for herself as one of the leading female winemakers in South Africa. Rolanie joined Rhebokskloof in 2007 and has since led the brand into the spotlight with her award-winning wine that has picked up numerous accolades at home and around the world.

Wine making runs deep in Rolanie’s blood where her grandfather, Fanie Du Toit, was one of Paarl’s legendary vignerons who ran their family farm in Hoogstede. (Read her full bio)

She has come a long way as one of the few female winemakers in South Africa where the industry is still dominated by men. Her success is undoubtedly attributed to her immense talent and ability to create exceptional wines from the unique terroir of the Noord-Agter Paarl Mountain. Support from other winemakers has also played an important role in her professional growth.

“…after almost twenty-one years, I still have an almost child-like excitement for the upcoming harvests! ” 

We asked Rolanie to share some insight on her winemaking journey and advice.

You started in 2002 as a female winemaker, which was rare, did you face any challenges as a woman at that time?

I was, and still am, fortunate to work alongside fantastic colleagues. I have received tremendous support not only from my peers, but also from individuals in various roles that are directly and indirectly part of the wine industry. So no, I do not recall any significant challenges when I started working in a predominantly male industry. That being said, perhaps on a subconscious level it did factor into shaping my work ethic. Since the start of my career, I have pushed myself incredibly hard and at times set unrealistically high standards. I have never shied away from doing the physically hard and taxing tasks. As I grew older, I realised that it is okay to ask for help every now and again.

What has been your proudest achievement/s in the wine industry to date?

That’s a tough question. Some of my personal, proudest achievements are small successes that others would find insignificant. For me it was those challenges that I was forced to overcome and ultimately pushed me to my limits that I am most proud of.

Those small achievements sometimes bring just as much value, if not more, than the bigger achievements that are often reflected in the form of awards, medals, and shiny trophies on a shelf. If I must choose one achievement, I would say that I am proud of is that after almost twenty-one years, I still have an almost child-like excitement for the upcoming harvests!

Why do you think more women should enter the world of winemaking in South Africa and around the world?

I think women can and should do anything they set out to do. Science, for me was always fun and a subject you can never stop exploring! If one adds wine with science, you could define it as scientific fun?! Yes, winemaking is a science – the term ‘oenology’ refers to the science of wine and winemaking. I think more women in the industry can help not only contribute to diversity in the industry, but also grow it.

I also recently read an article that stated women are now the largest percentage of wine consumers. So, it seems we are already taking over the wine industry, one sip at a time!

Any advice for aspiring female winemakers in South Africa and around the world wanting to also enter the industry?

Believe in yourself. Set goals. Work hard. If the odds seem stacked against you, just keep fighting until the odds are in your favour!

This is undoubtedly only the beginning for our Cellarmaster Rolanie and Rhebokskloof as we keep innovating and creating excellent wines created especially from South Africa to the rest of the world. We hope this article has inspired other female winemakers in South Africa to also pursue their passion in the industry and put our wines firmly on the world’s map.

We put together a slideshow showcasing Rolanie’s bigger achievements in the press over the years to commemorate her excellence.

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Accolades in detail from slide 1 to 7:

• Rolanie’s first wine at Rhebokskloof was the Black Marble Hill Syrah 2006. It won the silver medal at the 2008 Santam Paarl Shiraz Challenge.
• The Ommiberg Festival is an annual festival that celebrates the wine farms around the Paarl Mountain. This was Rolanie’s first Ommiberg festival as Rhebokskloof’s Winemaker. She was “officially” welcomed by the surrounding wine farm’s winemakers.
• The Syrah du Monde 2010, took place in Chateau d’Ampuis in the northern Rhone Valley in France in early June. It drew winemakers from all over the world as well as from all the French regions to compete for the best Shiraz awards. That year, 387 wine samples from 27 countries were judged and South Africa won eight golds, with our Black Marble Hill Syrah 2007 as one of them.
• The Wine-of-the-Month Club awards for the best cultivar wines. Trophy winners are chosen in a blind tasting of the 20 highest scoring wines. Rolanie’s Rhebokskloof Chardonnay 2009 was the trophy winner out of 140 wines tasted.
• Chardonnay-du-Monde is an international competition that brings together the best chardonnay wines from around the world annually. It awarded the Rhebokskloof Estate Chardonnay 2009 with a silver medal. A total of 914 Chardonnay’s from 38 countries were sampled for this prestigious competition.
• AWARDS AT NATIONAL WINE CHALLENGE 2016
  • Rolanie guided her team to yet another victory with the Black Marble Hill Syrah, Sandstone Grove Chardonnay (now Black Marble Hill Chardonnay), and the Rhebokskloof Chardonnay.
  • The Black Marble Hill Syrah claimed Top 100 status with a double Platinum award.
  • The Sandstone Grove Chardonnay received a Double gold and the Rhebokskloof Chardonnay received a double silver.

• Rolanie and Karin receiving the award for the Black Marble Hill Syrah 2016. It was selected in the Top 12 at the 2019 South African Shiraz Awards.

In 2021 alone, Rolanie’s Black Marble Hill Syrah 2018 has received 3 prestigious awards (GOLD – International Women’s Trophy Awards 2021, Only gold in this category from South Africa; GOLD – Berliner Wine Trophy; SILVER (90pts) – Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show 2021; SILVER – Decanter 2021) and her  Black Marble Hill Cap Classique 2016 is in the Top 10 of this year’s Prescient Cap Classique Report by Winemag.co.za with 91 points.