Danie senior was born and grew up on the family farm, went to school in Stellenbosch, matriculating at Paul Roos Gymnasium. Further studies in the fields of Botany and Agriculture followed in Stellenbosch. He also successfully passed the First Certificate Course in Wine Judging in 1991. Following on in the family tradition, in 1979 he took over as the third generation winemaker at Kaapzicht.
It was his passion for wine that led him to register the farm as Kaapzicht Estate and bottle his first wine under his own label in 1984.
In his younger days he used to be a keen runner and Two Oceans and Comrades Marathon participant and he still enjoys playing league tennis for the Bottelary Tennisclub. Since 1990 he takes his family and some friends every year on the Orange River, the initial canoe have mutiplied into quite a fleet. Nature, camping and outdoor life are close to his heart and he is rarely seen without his black Doberman by his side.
Besides marrying his German wife and the birth of his son Danie and daughter Quinne the highlights in his life came exactly 20 and 25 years after bottling his first wine:
In 2004 his Cape Blend Kaapzicht Steytler Vision 2001 received the Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Trophy for Best Red Blend in the world by the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London.
And just to prove that Pinotage can be made into a world class wine, his Kaapzicht Steytler Pinotage 2006 was chosen as Best Single Varietal Red Wine over all cultivars and countries in the world by the Decanter judges in 2009. (details of other accolades are in the awards list.)
Throughout his life Danie has engaged himself for the community: he financed and registered Bottelary as a wine of origin ward of Stellenbosch, he served for 8 years as a director of Stellenbosch Wineroutes and represents the wine industry on the FNB Commercial Agricultural Advisory board. He is a member of the prestigious Cape Winemaker's Guild since 2000.
If he is being asked about his priorities in his life he says it is important to him to live his Christianity.
Kaapzicht Wine Estate