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About Lelie van Saron

Lelie van Saron, is the beginning of a dream being fulfilled by one of of South Africa’s brightest winemaking talents, Natasha Williams.  Natasha grew up in a small, rural town named Saron nearly two hours north of Cape Town.  As a young girl, Natasha loved being outside and had a fascination with science and nature.  When meeting with her high school career counselor, the counselor mentioned Natasha would make an excellent winemaker with her love of science, attention to detail, and curiosity.  Natasha left the meeting fuming as wine was never a part of her life and it was forbidden in the house due to a Muslim mother and her father believing wine to be evil.

She enrolled at Stellenbosch University to study molecular biology and during her first year she met a young woman named Charla Haasbroek.  Charla was the only woman in the winemaking school, and this really brought back that conversation from high school.  Natasha felt that she too could become a winemaker, despite having no idea of what it really entailed and discussed it with her family.  Long story short, Natasha was well on her current path.  After completing her studies and working at wineries throughout South Africa and doing a vintage at Merry Edwards in California, Natasha was ready to find that perfect position.  One of her internships during university was at Bosman Wines in Wellington and this is where Natasha would start and continue to this day. Natasha started as a cellar hand and very quickly became an assistant winemaker.  She had a conversation with her boss Corlea and said that she wanted to make her own wine and the blessing came quickly.  Natasha had a real affinity to the cool-climate fruit that Bosman was growing in the Hemel-en-Aarde property and took on a block of Chardonnay as well as a select number of rows of Syrah in 2017 for her first vintage.

She decided to name the brand Lelie van Saron, translating in Afrikaans to “Lily from the town of Saron.”  Growing up she was referred to as being a lily by her family and this name paid homage back to her non-traditional wine upbringing.  The wines are made without any manipulations and with a very gentle hand.  Sulfur is the only addition to her wines and the wines are equally reflective of the sea-influenced site as they are of her captivating personality.

  • Owner & Winemaker Natasha Williams
  • Average Annual Production 275 cases
  • Farming Practices Sustainable - no herbicides or pesticides
South Africa

The Wines and Story of the Lily of Saron: Natasha Williams of Lelie van Saron

Tim James of WineMag profiles the inspiring and beautiful story of Natasha’s rise from growing up in a small town in the Swartland without any exposure to alcohol, least of all wine, to becoming the lead winemaker for Bosman Family Vineyards and establishing her own brand.  Tim quotes British biologist Richard Dawkins’s autobiography An Appetite […]
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