As a successful Restaurateur, Helmut started distilling "Haus-Schnaps" for his restaurant, "Katzenberger's Adler", one of the top rated restaurants in Germany. He subsequently began studying the "Art of Distillation" in Austria, as well as at the University of Hohenheim near Stuttgart under the auspices of Prof. Pieper. When the monopolies in South Africa fell in 1994, Helmut took the chance to get the very first licence in the country to produce Grappa & Schnaps. In January 2000, Wilderer's Distillery moved from Stellenbosch to Paarl. Visiting the new Distillery on the Wine-Route (R45) to Franshhoek (just 3 km outside Paarl) is a must for Schnaps lovers.