Born and raised in the UK, Richard travelled extensively before settling in South Africa in 1999 to make wine full time. He established Richard Kershaw Wines in January 2012 to create clonally selected, site-specific, cool climate wines in the Elgin Valley, the country's coolest wine region, choosing to focus on apposite noble grapes (ones with the ability to produce world-class examples) and now has a stable of award-winning, much in demand wines including Kershaw Elgin Chardonnay, Syrah and Pinot Noir and Kershaw Deconstructed Chardonnay and Syrah. One of only 10 Masters of Wine who actively make their own wines and South Africa's only winemaking Master of Wine, Richard is much in demand when not in the vineyard or cellar. A wine show judge for many prestigious competitions around the globe, he is also part of the educational panel for the Institute of Masters of Wine, lectures for the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) in South Africa, and shares the breadth of his knowledge with students and consumers via talks, tastings and blogs.

Current employer: Richard Kershaw Wines

Primary area(s) of work: Wine production

Industry sector(s): Viticulture, Winemaking, Business owner, Consultant, Wine judge

Wine styles: Natural, Still white, Still red, Still rosé, Still wines

Wine region expertise: Australia, Eastern Cape, Mosel, South Africa, Western Cape, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Piedmont

Market expertise: Australia, Europe, North America, United Kingdom, Germany, Scandinavia, Canada, South East Asia, France, Italy, Spain, Africa

Specialisms: Wine species, Clones, Vine propagation, Life cycle of the vine, Establishment of vineyards, Acquisition of vineyards, Cultivation of the vine, Structure and composition of grapes, Harvesting of grapes, Commercial advice on vinyard establishment, Processing of grapes, Fermentation, Maturation and blending, Stabilisation and clarification, Economics of wine production, Elevage / maturation, Blending, Preparation of finished wine for bottling, Packing and labelling, Quality assurance and control, Bulk shipment, Bottling, Marketing wine, Financial and commercial structures, Identifying and meeting consumer demand, Direct to consumer, Branding, Wine judging