Rosa Kruger was brought up on a farm in the northern Transvaal, now called Limpopo Province. The great-granddaughter of Paul Kruger, the 19th century President of the South African Boer Republic, she proudly developed an early independent streak and a love for nature. A former political journalist and lawyer, in her mid-30's she returned to farming and had the insight to turn an apple orchard at Iona in the cool climate Elgin region to Sauvignon Blanc, igniting her passion for viticulture. Since then has been a consultant for various wineries for over 20 years, designing new vineyard sites and managing existing vineyards for quality wine cellars. As the founder and chairperson of the Old Vine Project, Rosa was lauded in 2022 as the Decanter Hall of Fame recipient, making her the first viticulturist and the first South African recipient in the 38-year history of the award. Rosa began her journey to document South Africa’s old vines in 2002, seeking out vineyards 35 years and older, and formally launched the OVP in 2016 with seed funding from the Rupert Foundation, with the mandate to save and preserve South African vineyards. Rosa states that she is a firm believer that old vines make beautiful wines, wines with complexity and clarity, that reflect the landscape.