Altus Koegelenberg Winemaker Profile

Enoch’s Stomp isn’t Altus Koegelenberg’s first rodeo. A fifth-generation winemaker from South Africa, Koegelenberg and his family moved halfway across the world in 2003 to their ranch in Harleton, Texas, a small town outside Longview. After partnering with the Krals—family friends in East Texas—Enoch’s Stomp Vineyard & Winery was born. Today, Enoch’s grows more than a dozen varietals, including Blanc du Bois, Black Spanish, and even some unfamiliar ones like Norton (also called Cynthiana) and Champanel. We are proud to have East Texas winemaker Altus Koegelenberg as this month’s Winemaker Profile.

1. What did you do before becoming a winemaker?

I am a fifth-generation grape grower from South Africa, planting our first vines in 2005 after relocating my family to East Texas around 2003 for a more secure life. Though my family came from a long tradition of viticulture, before founding the winery, I hadn’t worked as a professional winemaker; rather, I was working to establish myself in a new country and build something with my background in grape growing.

2. What is the toughest challenge about being a winemaker in Texas?

• The unpredictable climate: heavy rains, heat, humidity, and disease pressure in East Texas.
• Finding grape varietals suited to local terroir.
• Building wine infrastructure in an area that had very few wineries when they began (only about 74 in Texas in 2001).

3. Is winemaking an art or a science or both?

I embrace both chemistry and art: viticultural tradition meets chemical precision in winemaking. He built his business around that synthesis.

4. What is your favorite food and wine pairing?

I do enjoy traditional home-cooked foods from South Africa, such as boerewors, lamb, and potjiekos. However, given Enoch’s restaurant’s emphasis on steaks and seafood served with estate wines, I prefer a red Texas-style steak with a Black Spanish or Norton as a preferred pairing.

5. If you didn’t make wine, what would you do?

Based on my South African farming roots and entrepreneurial spirit, I might have continued in grape or general agriculture, perhaps working in viticulture innovation or agritourism. I also enjoy farming with animals, which is deeply generational in my family.

6. What first attracted you to winemaking and how long have you been doing it?

I came from multi-generational grape growers in South Africa. In college, I experimented with winemaking; this and my family’s support seeded (no pun intended!) the foundation for me to make great wines. Jon Kral and I founded Enoch’s Stomp in 2004 and planted our first vines in 2005, so I have been involved in East Texas winemaking for over two decades.

7. What is the most common question you are asked as a winemaker?

• How long does it take before the juice is wine? Can you plant grapes in this area?
• Where is your accent from? I tell them “West Texas” through my strong South African accent.
• Do you really stomp on the grapes with your feet?

8. After a long day in the winery or vineyard, what do you do?

I enjoy tastings with guests, relaxing on the tasting-room patio, or spending time with family. We like our Braai (BBQ) in the evening at the house, with a glass of wine, a steak, and my wife, Carin’s fellowship.

9. What’s the greatest part about being a winemaker?

I have frequently expressed pride in creating award‑winning Texas wines from East Texas vines, proving the viability of the region. The recognition (100+ awards since ~2006) and community response reinforce that sense of achievement.

10. What is your winemaking philosophy, that is, what are you trying to achieve with your wines?

I build wines from grape varietals suited to East Texas terroir (Blanc du Bois, Norton, Lenoir, etc.) rather than forcing vinifera into an ill‑suited climate. The approach reflects a hands‑on, terroir‑driven philosophy, balancing viticultural heritage and scientific precision. I try to make the best wines with the varietals that we can grow in East Texas, focusing on award-winning results.

11. Anything else you would like to add?

We started modestly by serving peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and popcorn with our wines. We have grown to make over 70 wines at our production facility in Harleton, resulting in a spectrum of amazing wines. From small-scale tastings and cheese trays, we now host large events, grape stomps, Artisan Series for families, education series (“Stem to Stem”), and draw hundreds of guests on weekends.