Charles Hopkins

The Path

Training at Elsenburg College gave Charles Hopkins the base needed for a cellar career that moved through some of South Africa’s notable wine rooms before reaching De Grendel. He began in winemaking staff at Bellingham Wines, then continued in winemaking staff at Graham Beck, where he remained until 2005. That year, he stepped into the role of winemaker at De Grendel in Durbanville, and the work continued from there. Read closely, the path is less a story of ascent than of accumulation: experience, cellar discipline and the repeated judgment required to make wine well.

The Work Today

As Cellar Master at De Grendel Wine Estate in Cape Town, South Africa, from 2005 to the present, Charles Hopkins works in direct contact with the essentials of the cellar: what fruit comes in, how it is handled, and how tradition and technology are allowed to support rather than flatten each other. The job sits close to process, where the craft is carried by practical choices rather than broad language. In that setting, each tool has a defined role. His stated approach is not a choice between science and instinct, but a balance of the two, expressed through careful harvesting and gentle cellar handling. VIN 13 is used mainly on Sauvignon blanc, Viognier and Pinot gris, a specific cellar decision that points to precision and restraint rather than generalisation. The work depends on that kind of control: methodical, but still attentive to nuance. "I have a restless soul and a restless mind," Charles Hopkins says. That restlessness gives the work its motion — tied to the estate, grounded in old traditions, and open to modern technology without letting either one dominate.

Signature

Charles's signature wines include 2017 Elim Shiraz.

In Their Words “I have a restless soul and a restless mind.”

Acclaim

Charles's honors include Platter's South African Wine Guide five-star rating for the 2017 Elim Shiraz.