'We’re losing our heritage': mission to save SA's old vineyards underway

As Andre Morgenthal and viticulturist Jaco Engelbrecht criss-cross the Western Cape, 35 is the magic number. For after 35 years in the ground a vineyard in South Africa qualifies as an “old vine”, and the pair now driving the Old Vine Project (OVP) have made it their mission to keep South Africa’s heritage vines in the ground.

The OVP was started by respected viticulturist Rosa Kruger in 2003 and has since gone on to catalogue more than 1,000 vineyard blocks covering 2,600ha of land. “Sitting there for decades the vine can’t run away, so it has to just endure the weather, the temperatures and the soil,” says Andre. “There’s a texture in the wine that’s totally different to other wines.”

The problem though comes down to simple economics. After 20-odd years, vines produce fewer grapes and so farmers earn less per hectare. On tight margins, they’re often tempted to rip out older vineyards to replant with younger, more vigorous vines.

“The issue with old vines is that, like an old man, they can’t work as hard as a young vine,” explains Eben Sadie, who produces his acclaimed Old Vine Series from vineyards across the Cape. “They just can’t yield the same crop as a young vine. We’re losing a lot of our heritage at this stage.”

Along with cataloguing the Cape’s old vineyards, Andre and Rosa hope to keep those vines in the ground by matching low-yielding high-quality vineyards with winemakers looking to produce premium wines.

“One of the things we need to focus on is educating winemakers on just how many old vineyards there are in South Africa; many have the impression that all the old vineyards have been sold, or are already claimed,” says Jaco.

Luckily there is growing recognition of what old vines bring to the wine in the bottle, thanks to the award-winning wines from the likes of Chris Alheit, Corlea Fourie, Andrea Mullineux, Pierre Naudé and David Finlayson. They’re not always cheap, but they are invariably memorable.

GREAT WINES FROM OLD VINES

Naudé Old Vines Cinsault

From 36-year-old bush vines near Darling, this is a great example of a cultivar making a comeback.

Bosman Family Vineyards: Optenhorst Chenin Blanc

Chenin Blanc from vines planted in 1952, making it the fourth oldest Chenin vineyard in the country.

Daschbosch, Hanepoot

A delicious sweet wine from the Breedekloof, the Muscat d' Alexandria grapes sourced from a single hectare of century-old bush vines.

This article was originally published in one of the Sunday Times Neighbourhood: Property and Lifestyle guides. Visit Yourneighbourhood.co.za