THE TEAM
The Fryer’s Cove family
THE DORINGBAY COMMUNITY
Our journey has always been guided by a spirit of exploration - seeking new horizons that uplift the Doringbay community we call home. The people who have drawn their livelihood from this rugged coastline for generations are an enduring part of the Fryer’s Cove family, and it’s for them that we push into new frontiers like the Doringbay harbour. Once a neglected outpost, the harbour now stands transformed, housing what may be the only ocean-level wine cellar and tasting room in Africa - perhaps even the world. It’s a place shaped by the sea, the wind, and the curiosity that drives us forward. We believe that bold renewal ventures like this can spark the revival of a community that has weathered many storms and is ready to rise again.
JAN VAN ZYL
Viticulturist and Founder
Jan was born in Vredendal in 1967 and grew up on the family wine farm. He attended the primary school in Vredendal and matriculated High-school in Boland Landbou in Paarl in 1985. After the army, he attended Elsenburg from 1988 to 1990 and started farming in 1990. Jan planted the first vineyards for Fryer’s Cove in 1999.
PONK VAN ZYL
The Firefighting Farmer
Johannes Gideon (Ponk) van Zyl was born on 25 October 1935 in Vredendal. He was raised on the family farm called Draaihoek. After matriculating at age 17, he couldn’t return to the family farm as he started working in Potchefstroom as a bank teller, and later a municipal official where he acted as both an ambulance driver and a fireman. From 1958 to 1959 he studied at Elsenburg and at last started farming on the family’s farm at the end of 1959. He married Louise Beyers and had three children: Hazel, Jan and Margaretha. Ponk farms to this very day at age 82 (2018) and was directly involved with the founding of Fryer’s Cove.
LIZA GOODWIN
Wine Maker | General Manager
Liza Goodwin is the Winemaker and General Manager. Liza has many years’ experience in the winemaking industry, she is super passionate about Sauvignon Blanc and crafting unique and interesting wines from this varietal. Liza has always had a passion for wine and has wanted to be a winemaker for as long as she can remember.
Liza loves 70’s and 80’s music which can be heard on loop, especially during harvest. She confesses that she simply cannot live without a coffee machine, or at least a kettle close by. She has two children and two furr babies, and in her time away from the Cellar you will find Liza on her mountain bike, cooking, and spending quality time with her family.
Liza loves 70’s and 80’s music which can be heard on loop, especially during harvest. She confesses that she simply cannot live without a coffee machine, or at least a kettle close by. She has two children and two furr babies, and in her time away from the Cellar you will find Liza on her mountain bike, cooking, and spending quality time with her family.