April, 2026

This was ADVICO’s most active season yet, with 32 demos harvested across 10 districts and the team covering more than 4,200 km in the process. The work included 15 clone demos, 9 rootstock demos, and 8 cultivar demos, with a total of 1,145 grape samples processed.

The season started two weeks earlier than usual, kicking off with the Chardonnay clone demo at Graham Beck on 6 January, and concluded in March with the Cabernet Sauvignon demo at Vergelegen. It also marked our first harvest at Creation, and Paul Clüver, an exciting milestone for the team.

We look forward to analysing this past season’s results and gaining further insights from the data collected across all sites.

May 7, 2025

The team recently visited our new Chardonnay clone demonstration in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley at Creation Wines. Fourteen clones were planted in 2022 to evaluate how they perform in this cool-climate site, focusing on both production and wine quality. The visit provided an opportunity to assess early vine growth and site conditions, and the team is excited to begin ongoing monitoring to track how these clones develop over time. This demo will provide valuable insights into the potential of different Chardonnay clones in this unique region.

November 18, 2025

Today we hosted a rootstock field session at Otterkuil, bringing growers and technical teams together to explore three seasons of performance data. The session highlighted how different rootstocks respond under dryland conditions and what this means for vine balance, resilience, and long-term planning. Participants walked through the block, compared trends, and discussed practical implications with experts. Sessions like these reflect ADVICO’s commitment to turning research insights into meaningful, real-world guidance for the industry.

November, 2025

At this year’s SASEV Conference, Logan Jooste shared ADVICO’s key learnings from multi-year cover crop trials. The session highlighted how matching cover crops to local conditions, vineyard goals, and pest pressures can make all the difference—and provided growers with a practical selection framework.

October 29, 2025

We recently celebrated a significant milestone with the official launch of our new identity, ADVICO, at Rupert & Rothschild. Formerly known as the GEN-Z Vineyard Project, this rebrand marks our evolution into a collective dedicated to advancing viticulture across South Africa. The new identity reflects our commitment to strengthening the link between research and real-world vineyard application through practical, collaborative initiatives. With ADVICO, we continue our mission to support growers and drive resilience, sustainability, and innovation throughout the wine industry.

29 October, 2025

From our beginnings as the GEN-Z Vineyard Project to today’s exciting evolution, one thing has never changed — our commitment to advancing viticulture in South Africa.
We are proud to introduce ADVICO — the Advancement of Viticulture Collective South Africa.
A new identity that reflects who we’ve become: a collective of growers, researchers, and industry partners working together to drive progress, sustainability, and innovation across our vineyards.
The name may be new, but the mission remains the same — to grow, together.

September, 2025

For the 2025 ADVICO pruning season, 15 demonstration blocks across nine sites were pruned. Dormant shoots were carefully pruned and weighed individually for each vine, ensuring precise tracking of vegetative growth. This data is then compared to the reproductive yield to calculate the RAVAZ index, providing valuable insights into the performance and potential of each block. This marks the fifth year we are conducting these trials, which continue to help assess and understand the blocks more effectively.

June 11, 2025

Regenerative viticulture is drawing growing interest from writers, consumers, and producers alike. On 11 June 2025, VINPRO/ADVICO hosted the Regenerative Viticulture Growers’ Day in partnership with South Africa Wine RDI, the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation, and the Nemlab Soil Health Support Centre. The event at Spier and Reyneke highlighted practical themes including reduced tillage, compost, biochar, and animal integration. With 65 attendees and international as well as local experts, the presentations were recorded and shared on the Vinpro YouTube channel to reach a wider audience.

April, 2025

This year was ADVICO’s most active season yet, with 29 demos harvested across 10 districts and a record 668 samples collected and processed. Harvest kicked off in late January at Graham Beck and peaked in February and March, with Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, and red cultivar demos ripening in quick succession. At each site, detailed measurements such as bunch and berry weights, berry volume, yield estimates, and juice analyses were recorded to build a stronger dataset. Three sites have now been selected for the 2025 microvinification program: Sauvignon Blanc at De Grendel (Durbanville), Chenin Blanc at Olyvenhout (Wellington), and a red cultivar demo at Knolfontein (Swartland), with tastings by an expert panel to follow in July/August 2025.

2024

In 2024, a Shiraz clone demonstration was established at Kleinood, featuring four selected clones. This initiative marks the beginning of planting larger demonstration blocks with fewer clones to enable meaningful winemaking trials. The goal is to compare clone performance not only in terms of yield and vineyard characteristics but also wine quality. This approach will provide valuable, cellar-based insights to guide future planting decisions.

December, 2024

The ADVICO team is excited to be part of a new applied viticulture project in Stellenbosch, investigating strategies to help vines cope with extreme heat events. The study will evaluate different irrigation approaches and their effects on vine water status, berry composition, and yield. Findings will provide practical recommendations to support growers in managing heat stress more effectively.

November 28, 2024

Last week, the team visited our red cultivar demo at Riebeeksrivier in the Swartland region to check on ripening progress ahead of the season. This unique site sits 368 m above sea level and features a vine-by-post trellising system on sandstone–granite soils. Twelve red cultivars are planted here, including interesting varieties such as Souzao, Durif, and Tannat. We’re excited to see what this season will bring!

November 25, 2024

Our 2023 Shiraz clone demo block at Saronsberg is off to a strong start. This trial, featuring six carefully selected clones, is planted on the Coastal region’s unique duplex soils and will provide valuable information on how each clone adapts to vineyard conditions. Beyond growth and yield, the trial aims to explore the diversity these clones could contribute to winemaking styles, offering insight into flavour profiles, structure, and overall wine quality. Monitoring of this site will commence in 2027, and we look forward to gathering data that will guide both vineyard management and future winemaking decisions.

November 14, 2024

The ADVICO team recently hosted Robertson producers at their demonstration blocks: Bon Vallon, Weltevrede, and Excelsior. At Bon Vallon, 16 Chardonnay clones were planted to assess each clone’s production and performance on the Koffieklip soils and its impact on wine quality. At Weltevrede, different trellis options were explored to optimize production, while at Excelsior, various rootstock options grafted onto Chardonnay were evaluated to identify those best suited to the area’s conditions. With Robertson producing exceptional Chardonnay, these demos provide significant value to local producers.

November 8, 2024

The ADVICO team hosted the WKWBG study group during the recent field session, which included visits to the demonstration blocks at Kanonkop and Otterkuil. At Kanonkop, Cabernet Sauvignon clone performance is being closely monitored, with experimental wines produced to assess both vineyard expression and winemaking potential. At Otterkuil, bush vine Pinotage and Chenin blanc on different rootstocks revealed notable growth differences, highlighting the impact of site and plant material. The team also explored future demo projects, with themes including drought resilience, pruning systems, and vineyard strategies to address climate challenges.