Crown Valley Winery names new master winemaker

Alwyn J. Dippenaar, a native from Cape Town, South Africa, has been named Crown Valley Winery’s new master winemaker.

Dippenaar began his winemaking career in early 2004 after graduating from the prestigious Elsenburg College of Agriculture and University of Stellenbosch. The college dates back to 1898 and has developed some of the world’s renowned winemakers in South Africa, the Middle East and Australia.

After graduation, Dippenaar went to the Oregon coastline for an internship to better understand how American wines were being made. Filled with curiosity and a passion for learning, he took his knowledge to New Zealand and Western Australia where he became an apprentice in some of the world’s oldest and most established wineries. It was then he learned there was an art and science to making great wine … and yes, a little luck from Mother Nature.

His journey returned him to the states just six months ago where he planted himself right here in southern Missouri to learn yet again another way of making great wine. Dippenaar, coined as a “new world winemaker” is clearly on a path to justify this title. His scientific knowledge, infused by modern techniques has already been put into motion at Crown Valley Winery.

With a mission to learn winemaking in every region of the world, he is excited to take on the Missouri Norton grape and looks forward to elevating all Missouri wines.

Founded in 2003, Crown Valley is the maker of the popular wine varieties: Blackberry, Riesling and Norton.

Their mission is to produce world class wines that will excite the most avid wine drinker and connoisseur.