Justin van Wyk

The Path

Training at Stellenbosch University gave Justin van Wyk the technical base for the work that followed. In 2008, he came into Constantia Glen as assistant winemaker, a role that put him in the daily routines of the cellar and into close contact with the estate’s working methods. That early period was about repetition, observation, and adjustment: the kind of ground-level experience that builds judgment before responsibility shifts upward. The step from assistant winemaker to head winemaker, and the parallel work as owner / winemaker of Van Wyk Family Wines, shows a line of continuity rather than a break. Justin van Wyk’s career sits across both established estate work and his own label, with the same emphasis on site-led wine and measured execution.

The Work Today

At Constantia Glen, the winemaking is tied to a specific landscape. Justin van Wyk has described the estate as “cradled in the mountain range between Table Mountain and Constantiaberg,” a phrasing that points to the practical effect of the site as much as its appearance. The late afternoon sun gives the vines extended, gentle exposure, and in Constantia’s cool climate that matters for the pace of ripening. The wines are framed by those limits. Justin has said, “These wines that we make at Constantia Glen, they can't be made anywhere else in the world. It's because of our soils, because of our unique location.” The point is clear: the estate is not treated as a generic vineyard, but as a fixed set of conditions that shapes what the cellar can do. That is where his work sits—between vineyard and bottle, with restraint coming from place rather than style for its own sake. In that setting, patience is not a slogan; it is part of the method.

In Their Words “Constantia Glen has a unique location, cradled in the mountain range between Table Mountain and Constantiaberg. It's this late afternoon sun that allows for long and slow ripening, especially in the cool climate region of Constantia.” “These wines that we make at Constantia Glen, they can't be made anywhere else in the world. It's because of our soils, because of our unique location.”

Career - Head winemaker — Constantia Glen - Winemaker — Constantia Glen - Owner / winemaker — Van Wyk Family Wines - Assistant winemaker — Constantia Glen (from 2008) Education: Stellenbosch University

Acclaim

Justin's honors include Diner's Club Winemaker of the Year (2021).

FAQ Where did Justin van Wyk train or study? Justin van Wyk trained at Stellenbosch University. What recognition has Justin van Wyk received? Diner's Club Winemaker of the Year (2021).