In 2023, after over two decades of winemaking at Groot Constantia in South Africa, Boela Gerber made the decision to transition to Southwest Mountains Vineyards in Keswick, Virginia. The expansive vineyard, owned by Paul and Diane Manning, boasts approximately 67 acres of vines that are harvested each year, and the fruits of Boela and his team’s labor can be found in the bottles and glasses in the winery’s upscale yet comfortable tasting room overlooking the mountains.
“I added the value that I could in Cape Town,” Gerber said. “The environment here in Virginia is exciting right now -- it’s maturing rapidly. There was really good quality in the bottle here already -- I want to make something exceptional.”
Gerber graduated from Stellenbosch University in South Africa, where he initially intended to pursue a general science degree. But before he finished his freshman year, he turned his sights toward becoming a wine specialist and ultimately graduated with a degree focused on oenology. It was actually during his time at Stellenbosch that he had his first brush with Virginia wine when he studied Dr. Bruce Zoecklein’s textbook in his second year.
Though the vast majority of his career was rooted in South Africa, Gerber has experience that spans the globe. His first international harvest experience was at Château Angélus in Saint-Émilion, France. Then, during his time at Groot Constantia, he took several sabbaticals, making wine in France, Spain, Italy, and California.
Gerber says he has a special relationship with merlot, thanks to that first harvest at Château Angélus, and it shows in the wine that he makes from the grape. But Gerber’s skill also shines through in all of his other varietals, including Petit Manseng, a grape that he was unfamiliar with before coming to Virginia. “It was obscure -- I’d never heard of it,” he said. “It’s very unique to Virginia, and it grows particularly well here.”
The opportunity to explore different grapes, like petit mansang and viognier, was one draw to working at Southwest Mountains Vineyard. “Virginia is quite complex. There are all of these variations,” he said. “I appreciate the diversity, the variation -- it keeps you on your toes. We’re really still exploring sites and soils… there’s a lot that still needs to be discovered. It’s exciting.”
In addition, Gerber appreciates the collaborative spirit of Virginia’s wine community. “I really appreciate the diversity -- it’s a melting pot of knowledge with lots of experiences,” he said. “It really accelerates the learning curve in Virginia.”
Gerber also credits Paul Manning’s support as being integral to the process of making and improving the wine. “It’s a passion project for Paul -- that makes it fun for me,” Gerber said. General Manager Dave Kostelnik agrees. “The Manning family is so connected and passionate about making the winery successful,” Kostelnik said. “It’s great to be unencumbered by restriction.”
In addition to his studies and international winemaking, Gerber also seeks out opportunities to explore a variety of wines as a means of improving his own work. “It’s important to broaden your horizon and continuously sharpen your tasting skills,” he said. To achieve that goal, in South Africa, he was a member of three different tasting groups that each met once a month, where he tasted wines ranging from benchmark and classic to obscure. Additionally, he was a wine judge for over six years, tasting countless international wines. “Boela has some experiences that others don’t,” Kostelnik said. “It’s apparent in the final product.”
Moving forward, Gerber says that his goal is to continue to work on sustainability efforts while also learning, improving, and making extraordinary wines with the grapes at Southwest Mountains Vineyard. “We’re trying to mirror what’s happening in the vineyard -- there’s a lot we can do to maximize what’s in the vineyard,” he said. “What we’re trying to achieve is to express the area.”
"We’re trying to mirror what’s happening in the vineyard... What we’re trying to achieve is to express the area."