Frank Meaker selected to join Bordeaux Brotherhood
· 2 min read
Frank Meaker, cellarmaster at Org de Rac Winery in the Swartland and a long-time Paarl resident, has been inducted into the elite Commanderie de Bordeaux, an international wine organisation based in Bordeaux in France which is committed to spreading the ethos and culture of this world-famous wine region.
His broad experience in winemaking in South Africa as well as in France and America, his skill in the vineyard and the cellar and his love of Merlot, one of the famous Bordeaux grape cultivars, were among the factors deemed making Frank a worthy member of the Commanderie de Bordeaux Afrique du Sud.
Frank is a South African winemaker and viticulturist who has been involved with the industry for over four decades. He studied at Elsenburg Agriculture College in Stellenbosch just like his famous grandfather Paul Sauer of Kanonkop, and after graduating worked for Distillers Corporation under pioneering wine giants including Julius Laszlo and Desiderius Pongrácz.
Frank then went on to take-up the role of cellarmaster at blue-chip estates such as L’Ormarins and Blaauwklippen as well as spearheading the winemaking operations at large corporates including Trawal Winery and Wellington.
Driven by a thirst to experience Bordeaux and being inspired by the Merlot grape, Frank went to work on in Pomerol, harvesting at Château Mazeyres and Château Fonroque in 2010.
Today Frank is cellarmaster and CEO at Org de Rac, a winery specialising in the making of organic wines. He is regarded as one of South Africa’s true Merlot specialists, experimenting with variety in clones and terroir and acting as a highly-regarded adviser to the country’s new generation of winemakers.
The Commanderie du Bordeaux has 90 chapters throughout the world.
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