It has increasingly become important to select the correct grape varieties as South Africa’s climate changes. Rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and more frequent extremes are influencing vine performance and wine style.
Careful varietal choice is essential to maintain quality, sustainability and long-term resilience in the country’s diverse grape-growing regions.
Farmers have used this opportunity to reinvest in their vineyards, replacing older blocks with high-yielding, heat-resistant varieties that secure their future against a changing climate.
Climate-smart farming bears fruit
According to the South African Table Grape Industry (SATI) report, the national crop estimate remains unchanged at a promising 79.4 million cartons. With volumes currently tracking 0.6% higher than last season, the industry is officially on track to meet global demand.
“The season is on track, and South Africa remains well placed to deliver a consistent, high-quality crop that meets global consumer preferences across all markets,” said Mecia Petersen, CEO of SATI.
Petersen urged farmers to ensure that the grapes they are farming are climate-resilient and able to withstand all types of climate change in South Africa amid heavy rains and drought.
“SATI will continue to monitor the season closely and will communicate any material changes should they arise. At this stage, the industry outlook remains stable, with production and quality expectations aligned with the initial forecast,” she said.
‘Raisin’ the stakes
Food For Mzansi caught up with Elize Gerda Beukes, the founder of G&E Beukes Boerdery, just 15 km outside Keimoes in the Northern Cape.
Farming in a region defined by extreme heat and low rainfall, Beukes noted that success requires careful selection of grape varieties. While popular varieties like Chenin Blanc or Thompson Seedless thrive elsewhere, she prioritises heat-tolerant raisin grapes, specifically Selma Pete, Merbein, and Sultana. These hardy cultivars offer superior water efficiency, proving their edge in a climate where more traditional vines would struggle.
“Selma Pete is an early cultivar and is usually the first grape we harvest. Under normal conditions, we start harvesting Selma Pete in December. We chose this cultivar because it ripens early, handles heat stress well and allows us to start the season before the most intense heat sets in.
“From a sustainability point of view, that early harvest helps us spread labour and irrigation demands over a longer period. Selma Pete has uniform berries and dries well, which makes it suitable for sun-dried raisins, often marketed as Thompson-type raisins,” she said.
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Navigating a new normal
According to Beukes, the Sultana, also known as Thompson Seedless, is one of the most important cultivars on their farm and in the Keimoes area. Traditionally, sultanas would only be harvested in February, but climate change has changed that. With warmer winters and earlier heat buildup, they now often harvest sultanas in the first week of January.
“Sultanas are chosen because they are reliable, adaptable and produce high sugar levels, which means they dry efficiently. This cultivar is used to make both sun-dried Thompsons and golden raisins. The difference between the two is not the grape but the drying method: sun-dried Thompsons are dried naturally in the sun, while Goldens are dried in controlled tunnels to preserve their light colour.
“The Merbein cultivar was also traditionally a later variety, with harvest usually taking place in February. Like Sultana, Merbein is now ripening much earlier because of climate change, and we often harvest it in early January. We chose Merbein because it is a robust vine that performs well in hot, arid conditions and uses water efficiently, an important factor as water becomes more scarce,” she said.
Beukes further stated that, overall, climate change has had a clear impact on grape production in the Keimoes area. Shorter, warmer winters and higher summer temperatures mean grapes are ripening faster, and harvests are starting earlier than they did in the past.
“While this requires adjustments in planning, labour and irrigation, the cultivars we’ve chosen, Selma Pete, Merbein and Sultana, have proven to be resilient and well-suited to these changing conditions. That’s why they remain the foundation of sustainable grape farming,” she concluded.
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