Thomas Beermann comes from a long career to the mobility industry, holding senior management positions at renowned companies including Europar, car2go, WeShare, and unu. A family trip to South Africa in 2022 introduced him to the wonders of the Cape Winelands, and especially the Tulbagh Valley.

“Coming to SA multiple times and visiting many places, I was stunned by the beautiful Tulbagh Valley,” he says. “Its great wine and wonderful people felt like a hidden gem to me, as it is basically unknown in Europe in contrast to the well-trodden paths of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Constantia.”

Valley Wines Thomas Beerman e1732878932123
Valleywines founder Thomas Beerman

A fruitful meeting

During his visit in 2022, Thomas took the opportunity to meet a new acquaintance in South Africa. He had been introduced to Theuniskraal owner Andries Jordaan through his daughter, who is studying in the United States.

“Thomas’ daughter and my daughter are both on athletic scholarships at Elon University in North Carolina,” Andries explains. “I was talking to my daughter there, who told me her German friend’s father is very interested in wines and imports wine from various countries, including South Africa. We showed them around, did a wine tasting, and talked about Tulbagh Valley and its wines,” Andries recalls.

“Andries was a great support in introducing me to the other Tulbagh wineries and helping me understand the South African wine industry by sharing valuable insights,” Thomas says.

Sparking an idea

The time with Andries and his family gave Thomas a new perspective on the industry and sparked the idea to start a new wine business, valleygrapes in 2023 (“One word, no capitals!” Thomas stresses) – an online platform selling wines exclusively from Tulbagh and its winemakers. “We offer a curated selection of wines directly from Theuniskraal at the click of a button.”

Although the industries differ, the principles behind creating a great customer experience are similar. “The customer journey and digital online experience are different, but there are key success factors in both business models, whether registering for a mobility service or searching and ordering wine online,” Thomas says. “My former experience was beneficial in transferring my expertise to design the digital journey, which needs to be convenient, lean and flawless.”

The first year was dominated by setting up the business and organising an optimised logistics chain. “From there on, it is about creating brand sympathy and acquiring new customers.

“The most significant achievements until now have been the visibility and availability of Theuniskraal wines in Europe, and, of course, that European customers highly appreciate Theuniskraal wines.”

Thus valleygrapes quickly became the hub for Theuniskraal wines in Europe, enabling the otherwise obscure South African winery to shine in Europe’s saturated wine market. “Good wine is abundant in Europe, but there are very few well-known brands and unclear positioning,” Thomas explains. “Valleygrapes was specially created to emotionalise and transport the uniqueness and feeling of Tulbagh and Theuniskraal.”

A promising future

By all accounts, it’s been a winning partnership. Although it’s been running for barely two years, valleygrapes has allowed Theuniskraal Wines to expand its presence in Europe, where it previously had a modest footprint.

“Tulbagh is a unique valley with exceptional wines, distinctive farms, and a very rich history,” Andries says. “Valleygrapes puts the focus on our area and its diversity. Our range covers a broad spectrum of styles and tastes, with exceptional value for money.”

This partnership allows us to gain and expand market share in areas where Theuniskraal did not have any footprint before. Theuniskraal can produce what the market wants, while Thomas’ marketing skills and experience support the sales.”