Should We Be Planting for Today’s Market or Tomorrow’s Reality?

Every vineyard is a long-term investment in an uncertain future. As climate conditions shift, markets evolve and new technologies emerge, producers are being challenged to make decisions today that will shape South African wine for generations to come.

Wine has always been an industry built on patience, where great vineyards are measured in generations, not seasons. But as environmental and commercial pressures change, tradition alone is no longer enough to guarantee resilience. Innovation is no longer optional; it's a matter of 'when', not 'if'. But that's a difficult truth in an industry where a single wrong decision doesn't just cost a season; it can cost a generation.

Nowhere is the shift from tradition to necessity clearer than beneath the ground. Rootstocks were once viewed as a practical necessity, protecting vines against pests like phylloxera and helping them adapt to soil conditions. Today, their role has expanded into something more strategic: influencing vine vigour, drought tolerance, nutrient uptake and overall performance. When combined with careful cultivar selection, they also help producers build vineyards suited to conditions decades in the future.

From Rootstocks to Gene Editing: the Next Frontier

If rootstocks represent viticulture's first great act of future-proofing, the industry may now be entering its next one. Wian Mouton, Head of Cultivar Management at Bosman Adama, describes the trajectory of the past few decades of viticulture in 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 (phylloxera), and clonal selection enabled consistency. Today, we are entering the era of resilience by design where 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, spearheaded by Professor Mario Pezzotti, a plant genetics expert at the University of Verona and founder of the biotech spin-off called EdiVite. His research aims to make viticulture more sustainable by protecting 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 is careful to draw a distinction between this and 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, but to reproduce precise genetic changes that could also occur naturally or through conventional breeding, while doing so in a faster and more targeted way."

Crucially, Pezzotti argues the goal isn't to replace the varieties consumers already know and love, but to 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 dependency in the vineyard has moved from a nice-to-have 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, as it is not just our soils and ecosystems being impacted by synthetic inputs."

Regulation, Mouton adds, will determine how quickly any of this reaches South African vineyards, with Europe's New Genomic Techniques frameworks already shifting. "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."

So, if advancements in science and technology are providing more tools than ever before, why aren't they being adopted 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 the wines they choose. Globally recognised varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz continue to dominate purchasing decisions, making it difficult for lesser-known cultivars to gain widespread acceptance, even when they may be better suited to local growing conditions.

Mouton frames the same tension slightly differently, describing 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?"

When the Vineyard Succeeds, But the Market Doesn't

The tension between adaptation and acceptance becomes glaringly clear when discussing alternative grape varieties. Throughout Europe and other wine-producing regions, Mediterranean cultivars have attracted growing interest because of their natural tolerance to heat and drought. While South Africa has begun exploring similar opportunities, growing an excellent grape is only part of the equation.

De Beer recalls working with varieties that proved exceptionally well suited to local conditions, requiring minimal intervention in both the vineyard and the cellar, only to discover that consumers simply didn't recognise their names. The wines performed well in competitions and impressed winemakers, but commercial success remained elusive. In many cases, unfamiliar varieties ultimately found their way into blends rather than being bottled under their own names.

Mouton has seen the same pattern play out closer to home. Varieties like Nouvelle and Chenel, he notes, have struggled for a specific reason: not the vine, but the story around it. "The obstacle isn't just growing the vine; it's the 'brand identity' of the grape," he says. He sees newer entrants like Souvignier Gris and Muscaris, now being planted in areas like Wellington, facing the same test."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's also a bureaucratic hurdle that seldom makes it into the conversation. Several of these newer varieties still need formal recognition before they can be marketed on their own terms. "From an administrational point of view, the mentioned varieties have yet to be accepted into the Wine of Origin Scheme, a process which is ongoing and hope to be finalised by the end of 2026," Mouton says.

Mouton is careful to note that unfamiliar doesn't have to mean unapproachable. "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."

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 frames the same idea from the research side: "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."