Meet Clarise

A little wine brand with a big story

IL GECO is a small, independent South African wine brand created by winemaker and founder Clarise Sciocatti-Langeveldt.

After more than 20 years in the wine industry, Clarise wanted to create wines on her own terms. Wines with personality, wines she genuinely enjoys drinking, and wines that do not need to follow the crowd.

IL GECO is the result. Small by choice. Independent by nature. Proudly South African.

The woman behind the wine

Wines shouldn't be complicated or pretentious. Just enjoy them.

Wine has been a big part of Clarise's life for more than two decades. Her experience spans winemaking, wine business and the South African wine industry, but IL GECO is where she gets to bring all of that together in something completely her own.

She wanted to make wines that are interesting without being intimidating, and good enough for a special occasion but enjoyable enough for a Tuesday night.

Wine doesn't always need an occasion. Sometimes opening the bottle is the occasion.

The journey

Clarise's winemaking adventure began with a degree in wine, followed by two years as a travelling winemaker in New Zealand, Australia and California. Her roots brought her back to South Africa, where she joined Avondale Wine Estate, renowned for organic and biodynamic wines, as Assistant Winemaker.

While working full time, she completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Wine Business Management and the WSET Diploma in Wines. Producers who have shaped her approach include Avondale, Vilafonté, Château Montelena in Napa Valley and Oyster Bay Wines in Marlborough.

She then spent seven years as Cellar Master at Hazendal Wine Estate, where she played a key role in developing their vineyards, cellar, and both the wine and vodka portfolios.

The dream

In 2022 she took a leap of faith to focus solely on IL GECO. The project reflects a philosophy of patience, restraint and clarity: letting the vineyard speak.

When not in the vineyard or cellar, you will likely find her with her son, husband and two beagles, often camping, surrounded by nature, family and friends, with a fire, good food and wine.

The Sciocatti story

A family that learned to adapt

The story of IL GECO's Italian connection goes back to 1881, when a group of Italian silk farmers left Northern Italy for a new life in South Africa. Among them was Domenico Sciocatti, an ancestor of Clarise.

They came to Gouna in the Southern Cape with the hope of establishing a silk industry. They brought their knowledge, their silkworms and the expectation of starting a new life in a new country.

But things did not go according to plan. The silkworms simply would not feed on the indigenous mulberry trees.

So the families had a choice: give up, or adapt. They adapted.

Instead of becoming silk farmers, they became people of the forest, working as woodcutters and carpenters, learning a new way of life and building a future from what the South African landscape could offer them.

That spirit lives on

More than 140 years later, that story has become part of the inspiration behind IL GECO. The little gecko represents resilience, adaptability and the ability to find a way forward when things do not go according to plan.

Because wine, much like life, rarely goes exactly according to plan. You adapt. You learn. You make the best of what you have. And sometimes the unexpected path turns out to be the right one.

Domenico Sciocatti came to South Africa to make silk. His family became people of the forest instead. Today, his descendant makes wine.

Different time. Different craft. Same spirit.

Why IL GECO?

The name comes from the Italian word for gecko. Small, adaptable and surprisingly resilient, the gecko has a way of finding its place wherever it goes. It is a small creature with a big survival instinct.

Small doesn't mean insignificant.

Our philosophy

We don't believe wine needs to be complicated. We believe in good grapes, thoughtful winemaking and giving wine the time it needs.

We don't make wine simply because a particular style is fashionable. We make wines we want to drink: expressive, food friendly and easy to enjoy.

In the cellar that means fermentation with indigenous yeast, maturation in neutral 500 litre French oak, no fining and only light filtration. Because IL GECO is small, every bottle gets our attention.

Made with patience, not shortcuts.

Proudly South African

Our wines are made here, from South African grapes, by a South African winemaker. We love what makes South African wine unique: its diversity, its people, its landscapes and its ability to surprise.

Our Italian heritage is part of our story, but the heart of IL GECO is firmly here.

Wine should be enjoyed

At the end of the day, that is what it is all about. Open the bottle. Pour the wine. Share it with people you like.

Or don't. There are no rules here. Just good wine.