Delheim’s Michael ‘Spatz’ Sperling passes away aged 87

The patriarch of South Africa’s Delheim winery in Stellenbosch, winemaker Michael Hans ‘Spatz’ Sperling, has died at the age of 87.

Described as a “ready and generous friend”, Sperling’s “unstoppable energy was matched by his larger-than-life personality and cheeky sense of humour”, the estate said in a statement confirming his passing yesterday.

Sperling arrived in South Africa in 1951 at the age of 20 from Germany, joining his uncle Hans Hoheisen and aunt Del on their farm in Simonsberg.

Over the next 60 years he grew the farm into a popular tourist for wine lovers, becoming the first to serve cheese platters at lunch – a given for most wineries today.

Among Delheim’s most notable wines, founded by Sperling, was its late harvest natural sweet wine Spatzendreck, made predominantly from a blend of Chenin Blanc, Muscat d’ Frontignan, Weiser Riesling and launched in 1961.

In the 1970s Sperling bought a vineyard on Klapmutskop, which he named Vera Cruz after his wife, leading to the creation of Delheim’s flagship Cabernet-led Grand Reserve, first produced in 1981 and among the early Bordeaux-style blends from this region. The estate also produces a Pinotage Rosé, which when it launched in 1976 was the first of its kind in South Africa.

Sperling was also an advocate for the South African wine industry. Together with Sydney Back of Backsberg and Frans Malan of Simonsig, Sperling was among the founding members of the Cape Estate Wine Producers, which led to South Africa’s 1973 Wine of Origin system.

Sperling was also committed to the development of South African wine tourism and was a founding member of the Stellenbosch Wine Route, helping to convince authorities to introduce better signage. He was also involved with the founding of both the Stellenbosch Bottled Wine Show and Food and Wine Festival.

In 2009 Sperling’s contribution to the South African wine industry was recognised when he washonoured with the 350 Celebration Scroll in the year South Africa celebrated 350 years of winemaking.

“Our father will often be remembered in the wine industry as ‘the difficult German,” said his two eldest children, Victor and Nora, in a statement. “But he was not afraid of any challenge, even that of Parkinson’s disease of which he suffered during the latter years.

“We are highly blessed to have had a father who we could share with so many people. In his honour please raise a glass of your favourite Delheim wine, share the moment and celebrate his journey with us – Prost!”

Spatz is survived by his wife Vera and children Victor, Nora, Maria, Nicholas and grandchildren Rudi, Karl, Gabriele, Michael, Louis and Renzo.