Arid wines draw their essence from the  vision of owner and winemaker Michael van Niekerk, whose roots trace back to the  rugged expanses of Gemsbokkolk, a remote farm in the Northern Cape. Growing up amidst its stark, arid beauty and abundant wildlife shaped his deep connection to the land and its untamed spirit.

From the age of seven, Michael faced the challenges of boarding school, likening life’s obstacles to the seven gates he  navigated on the dusty jeep track to his family’s farm—each one a step closer to freedom. That freedom was found in herding sheep, air rifle shooting, three-man cricket matches, satellite spotting while sleeping outside under the stars.

“Where are you from? Are there vineyards there?” were the puzzled questions he faced when he enrolled to study Viticulture and Wine Science in Stellenbosch. Those same questions echoed years later on his first day interning as a winemaker in Australia. Leaving Down Under, with ‘minglish’ (strange English) and ‘Hansie’ for a nickname, internships in the United States and Italy followed before settling in South Africa.

Michael has been instrumental in the  production of No Sulphur Added wines by harnessing indigenous South African wood tannins. His expertise extends beyond Arid, as he also serves as the winemaker for an exclusive MCC producer in Franschhoek and co-owner of Vinette canned wines.

His winemaking philosophy reflects his roots, Simplistic & Minimalistic, and believes that a wine is made in the  vineyard with minimal intervention in the cellar.

In 2020 Michael & Elizna were blessed with the birth of their son, MC, who has started opening his own ‘seven gates’ on his journey through life.