Kayleigh Hattingh, winemaker at Kaapzicht Wine Estate, at vineyards in the Bottelary region, Stellenbosch.
"It’s quite perfect that my past experience has led me to Kaapzicht. Here is where my passion for terroir-driven and site-specific wines are fuelled," says Kayleigh Hattingh, the winemaker at Kaapzicht Wine Estate.
Kayleigh grew up in the Bottelary Hills near Stellenbosch. She graduated with a degree in viticulture and oenology from Stellenbosch University in 2016. After completing her studies, she worked as an intern with Andrea and Chris Mullineux of Mullineux and Leeu Family Wines, who helped cultivate her passion for terroir-driven wines. She then traveled to experience her first harvest abroad at OVID Napa Valley. This was followed by a harvest back home at Fable Mountain Vineyards in Tulbagh; another harvest overseas at Terroir al Límit in Priorat, Spain, and one at 2 Lads Winery in Michigan, America.
She joined the Kaapzicht team in 2018 and hasn't looked back since.
Tell me about yourself: What's your current position at Kaapzicht?
In 2018, a position opened at Kaapzicht Wine Estate for an assistant winemaker, and although I wasn’t really sure if I wanted a permanent position (I was a traveling winemaker at the time), I came through to meet Danie Steytler anyway. After touring the farm with the team and having a glass of Mosel Riesling at the picnic spot with the most spectacular view of Table Mountain, I was offered the job, and I accepted it naturally.
Fast forward to June 2022 – I was promoted to winemaker at Kaapzicht, and completed my fifth vintage at the estate.
As winemaker, my day to day responsibilities are managing all cellar operations. This includes winery administration (not always glamorous, but necessary), harvesting, blending, bottling, and labelling. Besides being in the cellar full-time, I also manage all of the dry stock procurement and the wine production operations.
What's your favourite part of your job?
I absolutely love blending, whether it's bench trials or in the cellar. The art of blending is incredibly creative yet very precise. A perfect fit for a creative perfectionist like me!
What is your why? Your drive and passion to work within the wine industry?
To me, wine is more than fermented grapes – it’s the people, the stories, the soil, passion, and dedication that makes every drop of wine worth it.
What's your favourite wine in the Kaapzicht range?
Our iconic Cape blend, Steytler Vision.
You also have your own label, Rebel Rebel Wines. What inspired you to start it?
In 2020, in the chaos of the pandemic (and prohibition), I started Rebel Rebel Wines to highlight and showcase the beauty of the Bottelary region, my home, using low-intervention winemaking techniques.
With my Syrah and Colombar, I want to take wine lovers on a journey to very special vineyards, perched high atop a granite hill on the slopes of the Bottelary Hills. The first time I walked through these vineyards and tasted their grapes, I dreamed of making wine from these very special sites. The idea is to transport the drinker with these very wines, and hopefully inspire some excitement for natural wines from this remarkable region.
What makes Rebel Rebel Wines different?
Rebel Rebel Wines is a low-intervention wine project founded in Bottelary, Stellenbosch. The wines are honest and transparently made, with minimal additions and intervention. They of course have a bit of a rebellious nature, and stand out from the crowd with their "fun and funky" branding, but at the core the wines are well crafted and terroir-driven.
Finally, seeing as it's Women's Month, what advice would you give to young women who want work in wine?
Whatever you do, do it with: love, passion, full awareness, and attention. Be present and put all you have into even the smallest acts.