People

Gerald was born and raised on a farm in Stellenbosch practicing mixed agriculture. After school he decided to hit the road, becoming a long-distance freight driver. But the farmland’s calling remained, and after a few years behind the wheel Gerald returned to Stellenbosch where he became supervisor of personnel on a wine and olive estate. He joined Kleine Zalze in 2004 as tractor driver, working his way up to his current position as general farm manager responsible for personnel and vineyards, his specialities being human resources, as well as soil-health and viticulture. Gerald has also completed various courses on personnel management within the agriculture sector.

Brandon hails from the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town and upon graduating from high school he qualified as an electrician at a local college. Technical proficiency and an eye for detail has seen him working at several leading companies in the Western Cape, including Faircape Dairies and Pepsico. He also spent time applying his trade in Gauteng at the International Parmalat dairy corporation. Brandon swopped milk for wine in 2017 when he joined Kleine Zalze as manager responsible for all maintenance on the estate, including the cellar, offices, and hospitality areas.

The child of a family of wine farm workers in the Stellenbosch region, Alicia began as a household domestic worker for a wine estate family. Her organisational skills and attention to detail were soon discovered, upon which she was offered the opportunity to work in the winery. Here she learnt about and worked on all aspects of dry goods and wine packaging, became acquainted with office administration, certification, and general wine industry systems. In 2014 Alicia joined Kleine Zalze where she is currently responsible for the management control of the estate’s expansive and diverse stock-levels.

Norman grew-up on a wine farm in Stellenbosch’s Jonkershoek Valley where he developed an interest in vineyards and the operational aspects of a cellar from an early age. After finishing school, he joined Distell, one of South Africa’s largest and most famous wine producers as a general cellar worker. He worked his way up the ranks where he became responsible for operations in various of Distell’s technical divisions. In 1996 Norman joined Kleine Zalze as general cellar-worker on an estate winery. His intuitive understanding of the winemaking process and the various equipment involved led to him being appointed Floor Manager in the cellar. Here he oversees all aspects in the winery ensuring the Kleine Zalze’s operations run to schedule and optimum efficiency.