Mary-Lou Nash is the co-owner, winemaker, viticulturist, tractor driver, marketer, and general “Jill of all trades” at Black Pearl Wines.
She received a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, with a major in Anthropology from The University of New Hampshire in 1989, and then taught English in Japan for two years before going on a three-year world tour.
The travelling slowed down when she joined her father in 1995 on his newly acquired property in South Africa, Rhenosterkop Farm, in Agter Paarl.
Twenty eight years later, with permanent residency and two South African daughters (who are fluent in Afrikaans), Mary-Lou calls Paarl her home.
Black Pearl Wines developed with Mary-Lou’s passion for wine. Mary-Lou planted 4.5 hectares of Shiraz in 1997 and 3 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon in 1998. A boutique cellar was established in 2001. Mary-Lou tends to the vineyard year round and makes sure only premium, healthy, phenolically ripe grapes are delivered to the cellar door.
Dissertation Topic: Garage Winemaking in South Africa – Less is more!
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