Stellenbosch Wine Farms Thrive On Generations Of Expertise And Certified Heritage Vineyards

Established in 1679, Stellenbosch is one of South Africa’s oldest wine regions, cultivated by vintners for 346 years since the Huguenots first arrived. It holds the majority of Certified Heritage Vineyards (vineyards certified by the Old Vine Project to be at least 35 years old, which ensures the authenticity of the wine produced from them), at approximately 1000 hectares.

Today, the area is known for its 150 wine farms, which produce some of the world’s best Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Shiraz, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. The variety of fine wines created here is possible due to a winning combination of terroir (topography, climate, and soil), expertise, and legacy.

“I believe it was Lily Bollinger from the Champagne house Bollinger who said, ‘The champagne business is easy, it’s the first 300 years that are hard’, and I believe wine farmers can relate,” says Karl Lambour, General Manager at Tokara. “We are in the very fortunate position to be making wines from vineyards that were seeded and carefully cultivated by the generations that have come before us.”

Threats to the Stellenbosch legacy

When it comes to the cultivation of grape vines, there is no fudging the results – you get out what you put in, and if the aim is an award-winning wine, it means being laser-focused on protecting and enhancing the terroir. This is harder than it sounds, due to the effects of climate change, pest control and the market demand for a higher product yield.

Climate change is arguably one of the biggest and most unpredictable threats, adding several challenges in recent years. These include rising temperatures, which affect the grapes’ growth cycles and yield, and changing rainfall patterns, which have introduced droughts and unexpected heavy rain. Extreme weather events like heat waves and wildfires are also increasing.

Added to this is the regular challenge of pest control, as phylloxera (aphid-like insects), mealybugs, and nematodes (microscopic worms that can damage vine roots), to mention a few, can wreak havoc on a vineyard. Sometimes, the cure is as bad as the disease when it comes to pesticides, which can damage the soil bioculture, stunt vine growth, and even affect the yeast activity during fermentation.

Client demand is also a constant pressure. While selling out of a good wine is a great problem, enhancing grape yield without compromising the vineyard’s health can be challenging.

The argument for regenerative viticulture

“Since day one, we’ve been committed to environmental stewardship and sustainable farming practices at Tokara – including organic composting, cover cropping and integrated pest management to minimise its ecological footprint,” Karl says. “While these practices can’t eradicate climate change, or eliminate pests, they do help us reduce the impact of these elements on our vines by helping to build resilience by enhancing biodiversity and promoting soil health”.

Tokara isn’t alone on its sustainable journey; many farms in the valley have taken up the challenge. The most well-known is likely Hartenberg, which has trialled several elements of regenerative farming:

• In 1995, Hartenberg began the process of removing alien vegetation. The result? The return of indigenous plants and animals, and increased soil water levels and longer run-offs after rain.
• In the early 2000s, they started working with Vergelegen Estate and Dr Gerhard Pietersen to create a leafroll virus protocol and standard operating procedure, including using ladybirds and wasps to control mealybugs and other pests. As a result, all vineyards eighteen years and younger are now virus-free.
• Hartenberg also changes its cover crops annually, which ensures increased soil microbe biodiversity. “Ultimately, when we change and improve the microclimate, plant and soil health through these practices, it must also have a positive effect on the wine,” explains Hartenberg viticulturist Wilhelm Joubert.

Today, the farm is also the leading trial site for ReGenWine, a three-year project piloted by Stellenbosch University and funded by South Africa Wine to test the potential of regenerative viticulture. Visitors might be shocked by the sight of cattle grazing among the vineyards. However, this forms part of the proposed new model to ‘improve soil and vine health, maintain wine quality and improve long-term ecological and economic sustainability’. The cattle are brought in to graze cover crops after the harvest, and their manure and urine replenish the soil, reducing the need for chemical fertilisers.

Reyneke Wines also embraces regenerative farming as part of its biodynamic approach, and, according to Johan Reyneke, farm owner and viticulturist, the proof is in the outcome: “If you can raise humus levels in soil, plants become more resistant to pests; if you can raise it to 5% of your soil’s content, you can raise resistance by up to 300%.”

He illustrates the benefits of transitioning to biodynamic practices, citing cost savings and yield improvements. “We saved from spending R100 000 on fertiliser, and R130 000 on organic compost, to zero spending,” Johan explains. “We diversified our income through our vineyard cattle. And we increased our yield, from 8 tonnes per hectare when farming conventionally, to a record of between 10 and 11 tonnes per hectare this year.”

Securing the future

“I believe, like many fellow wine makers, that the key to ensuring the future of Stellenbosch and it’s incredible wines is to honour what we’ve been entrusted with, the vineyards, and to employ every tool – sustainable farming with a return to natural methods, combined with all the science and technology available – to ensure that we can continue doing so in future,” Karl says.

Although the sight of cattle grazing among the vineyards sounds odd today, who knows; it might be the norm for future generations.