Vineyard project breaks new ground in SA wine industry

A water supply line spanning 4 km. A new dam of 26 000 kl. Establishing costs already amounting to R25m. A Chenin Blanc vineyard spanning 100 ha – that's 242 000 vines, 64 000 interior poles, 2 150 end posts and 950 000 m of wire.

And that's not all. Apart from the fact that this vineyard will yield about 4 000 tons of grapes, it is a prominent black economic empowerment (BEE) project in which 50 permanent workers will own approximately 55% of the vineyard and its return.

This is the scope of the enormous wine grape project on a farm that Fritz Oosthuizen is establishing right next to the Augrabies National Park in collaboration with Orange River Cellars.

The workers and their families will reap future benefits from this project in the form of dividends, and what is more, the aim is to register the entire vineyard under the Fairtrade banner of accreditation. Fairtrade is an international accreditation which ensures that the agricultural products carrying its endorsement mark originate from projects where workers and their communities enjoy exemplary working conditions and dignity. Moreover, a high premium is attached to Fairtrade products, especially in international markets. 

The project will enable Oosthuizen to build 180 houses for his workers and seasonal workers, as well as a service centre.

The first 50 ha have already been planted, and will yield its first grapes in the 2017 harvest. One of the major advantages is that this vineyard can be harvested early in the season, before harvest commences in the other areas. This allows Orange River Cellars to move the wine out of the cellars before other areas start their harvest, which gives the producer an early competitive edge in the market.

This project was recently presented to members of the wine and agricultural media, and everyone agreed that the wine industry has never witnessed an undertaking of this magnitude, and it proves that South Africa has the capability to hold its own on a large scale in terms of international farming standards.