In honour of #YouthMonth, we spotlight Abbey Pretorius, one of the 30 young professionals recognised by WineLand Media and Rotocon for their contributions to the South African wine industry.
Pretorius, the assistant winemaker at Franschhoek Cellar and Backsberg, is an individual whose journey to the wine industry is both inspiring and unique. From studying medicine to discovering her true calling in winemaking, Pretorius's story is a testament to following one’s passion. Here's a glimpse into what drives her, her experiences, and her vision for the future.
What inspired you to pursue a career in your current field?
Medicine surprisingly. I always thought that I wanted to become a doctor, but I quickly discovered that it wasn’t for me. I painstakingly continued for the following three years before I decided that it was time to throw in the towel and find my actual passion.
I have always been interested in animals and nature, so after leaving medicine I thought I might become a veterinarian. I did some job shadowing and to my surprise, I was not able to cope with seeing the sick/injured pets. The animals cried, then I cried (lol) and because of this, I think it’s safe to say that I just couldn’t quite stomach it.
I then decided to turn my attention to agriculture and thought about farming seeing as that would still be ticking off my nature box, but I just couldn’t see myself as a typical farmer.
Then one day, my dad, sister and I ventured to a wine farm for lunch. I looked to the vineyards and told my sister that I wished I could do "this wine farm thing" and my sister smiled, looked at me and said, "You can… at Stellenbosch". That evening I immediately went through the prospectus and low and behold, the answer to my prayers! In 2018, I started my wine journey at Stellenbosch University and I haven’t looked back since.
I’m grateful for where I am and excited about where I’m going.
Click HERE to read the full article.