Marelise Niemann hails from the cold maritime climate farming area of Elgin, once known for its apples but increasingly renowned for producing quality wine grapes. After completing her BSc studies in Viticulture and Oenology in 2005 at Stellenbosch University she worked in Napa Valley, California for 6 months before returning to South Africa to take up an assistant winemaker position at Beaumont Wines in Bot River in 2007. During her seven years at Beaumont she continued to gain international experience by doing the harvests in Burgundy and the Rhone in France, in Spain and in Portugal. On these travels she fell in love with Grenache, among other varietals, and after her return from Priorat, Spain, in September 2010 she decided to explore the Grenache vineyards in South Africa during which time her own label, Momento Wines, was born. Since the launch of her first wine in 2013 Marelise has made her wines at Beaumont, at Gabrielskloof where she spent for 4 years, and from 2020, at Anysbos farm where she is the estate's Winemaker. In the 2025 Platter's by Diners Club South African Wine Guide, Marelise was awarded three Wines of the Year: Anysbos Tesame 2022, Momento Grenache Gris 2023 and Momento Chenin Blanc-Verdelho 2023.