Every vineyard represents a long-term investment in an uncertain future. Climate conditions are shifting, markets are evolving, and new technologies are emerging. As a result, producers must make decisions today that will shape South African wine for generations to come.
Wine has always been an industry built on patience. Great vineyards are measured in generations, not seasons. However, changing environmental and commercial pressures mean tradition alone can no longer guarantee resilience. Innovation is no longer optional. It is a question of when, not if. Yet this presents a difficult reality for an industry where one wrong decision can cost more than a season. It can cost an entire generation.
From rootstocks to gene editing – the next frontier
Nowhere is the shift from tradition to necessity clearer than beneath the ground. Producers once viewed rootstocks as a practical necessity. They protected vines against pests such as phylloxera and helped them adapt to soil conditions. Today, rootstocks play a more strategic role. They influence vine vigour, drought tolerance, nutrient uptake and overall performance.
When producers combine rootstocks with careful cultivar selection, they can build vineyards suited to conditions decades into the future. This is central to planting for today’s wine market while preparing for tomorrow’s environmental challenges.
If rootstocks represent viticulture’s first major step towards future-proofing, the industry may now be entering its next phase.
Wian Mouton, Head of Cultivar Management at Bosman Adama, describes the past few decades of viticulture as a progression through distinct phases. “We have moved from a foundation of survival to one of precision,” he explains. “Viticulture began by simply managing what nature provided. Grafting allowed us to overcome soil-borne threats, including phylloxera, while clonal selection enabled consistency. Today, we are entering the era of resilience by design. Gene editing and new varieties allow us to anticipate environmental pressures before they manifest in the vineyard.”
Earlier this year, Italy became the first country in Europe to begin open-field trials of gene-edited grapevines. Professor Mario Pezzotti spearheaded the initiative. He is a plant genetics expert at the University of Verona and founded the biotechnology spin-off EdiVite. His research aims to make viticulture more sustainable. Specifically, he seeks to protect established grape varieties from disease pressure without relying on heavy fungicide use.
For Pezzotti, the significance of the Italian trials extends well beyond science. “It shows that genome editing in viticulture is no longer only a laboratory promise, but a technology that can be tested under real agronomic, environmental and regulatory conditions,” he says.
He also distinguishes this approach from older, more contentious biotechnologies. “In the case of DNA-free genome editing, such as the approach we use in grapevine, the final plant does not contain foreign DNA. The objective is not to create an artificial organism. Instead, we aim to reproduce precise genetic changes that could also occur naturally or through conventional breeding, but in a faster and more targeted way.”
Crucially, Pezzotti argues that the goal is not to replace varieties consumers already know and love. Instead, genome editing could help protect them.
“If a cultivar such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Glera, Sangiovese, Chenin Blanc or Pinotage faces increasing disease pressure or climate stress, genome editing may offer a way to preserve that cultivar for future generations rather than replace it with something entirely different.”
The environmental case is equally pressing. Mouton points out that reducing chemical dependence in the vineyard has shifted from a desirable extra to a licence to farm.
“Sustainability is no longer a marketing term; it is a licence to operate,” he says. “We must emphasise the human health impact alongside environmental health. Synthetic inputs affect not only our soils and ecosystems, but also human health.”
According to Mouton, regulation will determine how quickly these advances reach South African vineyards. Europe’s frameworks for New Genomic Techniques are already evolving.
“When climate change and disease pressure threaten regional production, regulations must evolve to allow growers to remain productive and sustainable,” he says. “Regulatory clarity acts as the ‘green light’ for innovation, allowing research to translate into commercial, field-ready solutions.”
Given the growing range of scientific and technological tools available to producers, why are they not adopting these innovations faster? The answer may have less to do with vineyards than with markets.
The real challenge may not be scientific
Wine industry expert, agricultural economist and winemaker Petri de Beer observes that consumers remain remarkably conservative in their wine choices.
Globally recognised varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz continue to dominate purchasing decisions. Consequently, lesser-known cultivars struggle to gain widespread acceptance, even when they may suit local growing conditions better.
Mouton frames the same tension differently. He describes it as an industry-wide efficiency paradox.
“We have a vast library of genetic potential, but commercial success demands high-volume reliability,” he says. “Could it be that our current decision-making is optimised for risk mitigation rather than genetic exploration?”
This tension raises an important question for producers: how can they balance commercial demand with the need to prepare vineyards for changing conditions? Planting for today’s wine market requires producers to understand consumer preferences. However, they must also consider which cultivars will remain viable as environmental pressures intensify.
When the vineyard succeeds, but the market doesn’t
The tension between adaptation and consumer acceptance becomes particularly clear when producers consider alternative grape varieties.
Across Europe and other wine-producing regions, Mediterranean cultivars have attracted growing interest because of their natural tolerance to heat and drought. South Africa has also begun exploring similar opportunities. However, growing an excellent grape represents only part of the equation.
De Beer recalls working with varieties that proved exceptionally well suited to local conditions. These varieties required minimal intervention in both the vineyard and the cellar. Yet he discovered that consumers simply did not recognise their names.
The wines performed well in competitions and impressed winemakers, but commercial success remained elusive. In many cases, producers eventually incorporated these unfamiliar varieties into blends instead of bottling them under their own names.
Mouton has witnessed the same pattern closer to home. He notes that varieties such as Nouvelle and Chenel have struggled for a specific reason. The problem lies not in the vine itself, but in the story surrounding it.
“The obstacle isn’t just growing the vine; it’s the ‘brand identity’ of the grape,” he says. He believes newer varieties, including Souvignier Gris and Muscaris, face the same challenge. Producers are now planting these grapes in areas such as Wellington.
“We must prove their quality in the cellar while simultaneously creating a new narrative that consumers find exciting. If the wine is excellent, the name will eventually carry its own weight.”
There is also a bureaucratic hurdle that rarely enters the conversation. Several newer varieties still require formal recognition before producers can market them on their own terms.
“From an administrative point of view, the mentioned varieties have yet to be accepted into the Wine of Origin Scheme, a process which is ongoing and hoped to be finalised by the end of 2026,” Mouton says.
Mouton emphasises that unfamiliarity does not have to make a wine inaccessible to consumers. “We shouldn’t compare an unfamiliar variety to a known staple; we should champion its unique character,” he says. “The story of disease-resistant varieties and the tangible benefits of producing them must be leveraged to assist in managing consumer expectations and building deeper appreciation for these wines.”
For South African producers, the challenge is therefore twofold. They must select cultivars that can withstand future environmental pressures while building consumer awareness and demand. Planting for today’s wine market must account for current commercial realities without overlooking the long-term value of introducing resilient, lesser-known varieties.
Innovation in service of tradition
The economic cost of tradition deserves more open conversation,” Mouton says. “Maintaining a status quo that requires high chemical inputs and significant water usage is becoming more expensive and riskier every year for growers. From where we sit, changing your vines shouldn’t be seen as a risk; it’s a strategic necessity worth exploring together.”
Pezzotti approaches the same idea from a research perspective. “Wine countries should not ask whether they must choose between tradition and innovation,” he says. “The real question is how innovation can help tradition survive in a rapidly changing world.”
Ultimately, South African producers must balance the demands of the present with the realities of an uncertain future. They need to consider consumer preferences, environmental resilience, scientific advances and regulatory requirements when making planting decisions.
Planting for today’s wine market is not simply about responding to current demand. It also means preparing vineyards to remain productive, sustainable and commercially viable for generations to come.
Marguerite Beukes | Head | Marketing | Vinimark | mail me |
