Takuan von Arnim

The Path

At Haute Cabrière in Franschhoek, South Africa, the work of Cellar Master and Head of Wine sits with Takuan von Arnim at the point where cellar discipline meets estate identity. The role asks for technical control, but also for judgment: knowing when to shape, when to step back, and how to keep the wines in step with the house they come from. That approach reflects a family sensibility in which food and wine are not treated as separate pursuits, and where the best result is the right match between the two.

The Work Today

The cellar defines the day-to-day task, but the remit reaches beyond production. As Cellar Master and Head of Wine, Von Arnim works with the estate’s wines as a whole, treating balance and placement as part of the job, not an afterthought. At Haute Cabrière, that means reading the wines in relation to the estate’s own character and to Franschhoek’s broader food-and-wine culture. The work is practical and exacting: every decision in the cellar carries through to the glass.

Career - Cellar Master — Haute Cabrière

Signature

Takuan's signature wines include Pierre Jourdan Brut, Haute Cabrière Chardonnay Unwooded, Haute Collection Chardonnay, and Pierre Jourdan Belle Rose. Taken together, these bottles show the range expected of the cellar: sparkling wine, Chardonnay in different registers, and rosé. They are the labels most closely tied to Von Arnim’s work at Haute Cabrière, and they anchor his profile at the estate.

In Their Words The pairing is the point here: a prawn starter set against Haute Collection Chardonnay, with the memory resting on how the dish and wine met. It is a useful reminder of what the cellar is for — not display, but a clean fit at the table. “I share my father’s food and wine and the magic when the perfect marriage happens between the two.” The line frames the work in plain terms: food and wine as partners, with the value lying in the match itself. For a cellar hand, that is less a slogan than a working principle.

Acclaim

The recognition attached to the role is built into the responsibility itself: oversight of the estate’s wines at a Franschhoek producer carries weight by default. Von Arnim keeps the language direct, too: "This wine is simply delicious." Takuan von Arnim is the second-generation Cellar Master at Haute Cabrière in Franschhoek, South Africa, where he has been involved in the family winery since an early age and returned professionally in 2004. Where he has been involved in the family winery since an early age and returned professionally in 2004. he has been involved in the family winery since an early age and returned professionally in 2004. In 2013, he took over the cellar from his father, Achim von Arnim, and later expanded the estate’s portfolio by co-creating the Haute Collection with Tim Hoek in 2018, launched in 2019. And later expanded the estate’s portfolio by co-creating the Haute Collection with Tim Hoek in 2018. he took over the cellar from his father, Achim von Arnim, and later expanded the estate’s portfolio by co-creating the Haute Collection with Tim Hoek in 2018, launched in 2019. Launched in 2019.

FAQ How did Takuan Von Arnim get started? What is Takuan Von Arnim best known for today? He is best known today as Cellar Master and Head of Wine at Haute Cabrière in Franschhoek. He has also said, "The prawn starter with a glass of the Haute Collection Chardonnay was something I am adding to my bucket list of enjoying at least once more!" What is Takuan Von Arnim's craft? Cellar Master and Head of Wine — Haute Cabrière (Franschhoek, South Africa), 2013.