"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, winemaker at Kaapzicht Wine Estate.
Kayleigh studied viticulture and oenology at Stellenbosch University, and completed her studies in 2016. During the first year after her studies, she worked with Andrea and Chris Mullineux of Mullineux and Leeu Family Wines in Franschhoek, who helped cultivate her passion for terroir-driven wines. She then took this newfound passion to California where she worked as a harvest intern at the OVID winery in Napa Valley.
She found herself back in South Africa for harvest the following year, working at Fable Mountain Vineyards in Tulbagh. Having worked with new varieties like Grenache and Mourvedre for the first time, she was inspired to work in Spain where these varieties are very common. She went to a small viticultural area called Priorat, working at Terroir al Límit. She learned to love Mediterranean cultivars and how to farm under intense dryland conditions.
Kayleigh also has her own wine label, Rebel Rebel Wines. She started her brand in 2020 with the aim of showcasing the beauty of the Bottelary region using low-intervention winemaking techniques.
In 2023, she made WineLand Media's 30 Under 30 list of 30 young professionals recognised for their contributions to the South African wine industry.