I grew up in Hermanus, playing in rock pools and spending my early youth on the beach, so I can totally understand why Hasher Family Estate's Frederik Herten and Céline Haspeslagh and their 3 children decided that it (and the Hemel-en-Aarde valley) would be their home of choice and move here from Belgium. The name Hasher is an amalgamation of their surnames, viz Haspeslagh and Herten. Frederik has been coming to Hermanus since he was 12, and developed a love for the area and it was a bit of a deal-breaker wedding consideration when bringing Celine here, but fortunately she loves the area too, and the couple then convinced Céline's family to invest in the Sumaridge farm which they purchased about a year ago. I attended the launch of their first wines recently, alongside their neighbours of the Hemel-en-Aaarde valley and various trade and media. They launched a Fat Lady Sauvignon Blanc, the Marimist Chardonnay and Ernest Pinot Noir, named after their eldest son, who welcomed me on my arrival handing out the very well presented tasting notes of the wines. He was very effusive and enthusiastic about living on the farm and spotting bat-eared foxes! There is plenty of replanting to be done on the farm, with a big focus on conservation. They have allocated 50 hectares to this project, and so we hope to see them as a WWF Conservation Champion soon. They haves great plans, and we look forward to the insights of winemaker Walter Pretorius and Viticulturist Dean Leppan as they progress, which seems to be focusing on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, no surprises there as they have become the signature cultivars of the valley. Well done to this lovely family-focused couple on what they presented, and just the stunning open marquis used for the event with a view to die for was enough to indicate that they do things in style and in harmony with the surrounds. We wish them only the best in the world of South African wine!