In Memory of Francois
Conradie
By Rijk Melck
Francois, our beloved
winemaker and friend, tragically passed away on 13th January 2014 after a short
battle with cancer. He leaves behind his lovely wife, Adel, and their two young
children, JD and Annabel.
Francois joined us as
winemaker at Muratie on 1st December 2005. What struck me from day
one was his inimitable humility, honesty and ability to make time for anybody
and everybody. Always with a smile on his face, no job was too big for
Francois. He was always ready to give and reluctant to receive. In addition to
making our wines, conducting our wine tastings and planting our vines, he also
took it upon himself to look after my mother’s beautiful garden, assist her
with her prized hanepoot and fig jam and do everything else that needed to be
done. He sat in on all our monthly farm meetings, keeping his head while
listening to all the varied opinions and suggestions. At Muratie we never saw
Francois as just our winemaker; he was a member of the family.
Francois leaves behind
a treasured legacy at Muratie. He saw the huge potential on the farm, accepted
the challenges, and in his eight years with us, took Muratie from the dark ages
of winemaking into the light. He has been an inspiration to us all, be it in
the office, in our homes, in the vineyards or the cellar, imbuing Muratie with
his own unique signature of modesty, kindness, passion, integrity and courage.
Francois will also be sorely missed by our colleagues in the wine industry, our
loyal customers and visitors to the farm.
As with all the special
characters who came before during our estate’s rich history, Francois’s spirit
remains woven into the very fabric of our farm, our minds and our hearts. We
extend our deepest condolences to Adel, JD, Annabel and the family. Francois we
will miss you more than you could ever know.
No comments:
Post a Comment