Old Vine Project (South Africa — Certified Heritage Vineyards 35+ Years)

The Old Vine Project is a South African non-profit company that identifies, certifies, and advocates for vineyards planted 35 years ago or earlier. Producers apply for the Certified Heritage Vineyard (CHV) seal, which is verified against the SAWIS vineyard database, a record of South African vine plantings maintained since 1900. The CHV seal, launched in 2018 and still the only scheme of its kind in the world, displays the vineyard's planting date on the bottle, giving consumers verifiable traceability. The OVP operates under the founding vision of viticulturist Rosa Kruger, with project management led by Andre Morgenthal since 2016.

• Certification is verified against SAWIS planting records stretching back to 1900, providing traceability unmatched by any other country's old vine scheme
• The CHV seal, launched in 2018, carries the vineyard planting date on every bottle, making provenance transparent to consumers and trade
• OVP membership grew from 8 founding members in 2017 to over 130 members by 2025, producing more than 350 certified heritage wines per vintage
• The OVP's motto, 'Plant to Grow Old,' extends its mission beyond preservation to encouraging new plantings with virus-free material designed to become the heritage vineyards of the future

Rosa Kruger, a former lawyer turned viticulturist, began searching for and cataloguing South Africa's old vineyards in 2002 after being inspired by old vines she encountered on travels in Europe. Working largely alone in the early years, she tracked down heritage blocks by hand before SAWIS agreed in 2014 to release its database of vines older than 35 years to assist the effort. In 2016, Johann Rupert provided seed funding through the Rupert Foundation, enabling the project to be formally established as a non-profit company. Andre Morgenthal and Jaco Engelbrecht joined as the operational team, transforming what had been a personal mission into a structured industry initiative. A pivotal early moment was Eben Sadie's release of his first Old Vineyard Series wine in 2009, which demonstrated to producers and critics alike that heritage parcels could command serious international attention.

• Rosa Kruger began personally scouting vineyards in 2002, recording blocks by hand before producer data was publicly available
• SAWIS released its 35-year-plus vine database in 2014, providing a verified foundation for what would become the OVP's certification system
• The OVP was formally incorporated in 2016 with seed funding from the Rupert Foundation, with Andre Morgenthal as project manager
• Eben Sadie's Old Vineyard Series, launched in 2009, created early market proof that old vine South African wines could earn international critical acclaim

Old vines produce lower yields than younger plantings, typically between 1.5 and 5 tons per hectare, concentrating flavor compounds and expressing terroir more precisely. Their deep, well-established root systems tap into moisture and minerals unavailable to younger vines, offering greater self-regulation in South Africa's hot, drought-prone climate. Rosa Kruger has noted that old vines are self-regulating, producing smaller crops in drier seasons and bigger crops in wetter seasons, achieving optimal ripeness with higher acidity and lower pH without cellar intervention. Old vines in South Africa also tend to suffer less from leafroll virus than younger plantings, contributing to greater vineyard health and more consistent fruit quality.

• Old vineyard yields of 1.5 to 5 tons per hectare concentrate flavor, texture, and terroir expression compared to higher-cropping younger vines
• Deep root systems access subsoil moisture and minerals, enabling self-regulation of sugar accumulation and better preservation of natural acidity
• Old vines are more climate-resilient, a growing advantage as South Africa faces increasing drought and heat stress
• South Africa's serious leafroll virus history means many younger vineyards struggle with quality; old vines that have survived are generally healthier and more stable

Chenin Blanc accounts for approximately 52% of South Africa's old vine hectarage and is the backbone of the OVP's most celebrated wines. Cinsault and Pinotage each represent around 5%, followed by Palomino, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Syrah, and Tinta Barocca. The dominance of white varieties reflects the viticultural history of the 1970s and 1980s, when poor red vine planting material meant most red vineyards could not survive beyond 20 years. Key regions for old vine concentration include the Swartland, Stellenbosch, Paarl, and the broader Coastal Region, with producers such as Eben Sadie, Mullineux, Chris Alheit, and Ian Naude among the most prominent champions of heritage parcels.

• Chenin Blanc at 52% of old vine hectarage is the dominant variety, with the Swartland and Stellenbosch home to celebrated blocks from the 1960s through 1980s
• Old red vine blocks are rare because poor planting material in the 1970s and 1980s left most red vineyards unable to survive beyond 20 years
• Kaapzicht in Stellenbosch's Bottelary Hills farms a Chenin Blanc block planted in 1947, one of the region's oldest; Eben Sadie's Mev. Kirsten is made from what is considered the oldest Chenin Blanc vineyard in South Africa
• Collaboration with InterLoire has confirmed that some South African Chenin Blanc selections are now extinct in France and are being safeguarded in clonal gardens there

The Certified Heritage Vineyard seal has created a verifiable quality signal that resonates with trade buyers, sommeliers, and consumers. Research by the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University has confirmed that vine age contributes significantly to wine pricing, with old vine designation acting as a meaningful premium marker in the retail sector. The OVP has secured dedicated old vine sections in leading wine retailers and restaurant lists locally and internationally, and CHV wines have won awards at competitions including the IWSC. In 2024, the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) formally recognised the OVP's work by adopting Resolution OIV-VITI 703-2024, defining an old vine as a documented vine at least 35 years old.

• The CHV seal and planting date on each bottle give trade buyers and consumers transparent, verifiable provenance that other old vine categories worldwide cannot match
• University of Cape Town research confirmed that vine age contributes significantly to wine price, and the CHV seal sharpens this category distinction in retail
• Dedicated old vine sections now appear in leading retailers and restaurant wine lists in South Africa and internationally
• The OIV formally recognised the old vine concept in Resolution OIV-VITI 703-2024, defining an old vine as a documented vine of at least 35 years with grafts undisturbed for the same period

The central challenge the OVP addresses is economic: old vines produce low yields and were historically penalised within the cooperative system, driving farmers to uproot them in favour of higher-cropping alternatives. By connecting farmers directly with premium winemakers willing to pay 8,000 to 15,000 rand per ton or more, the OVP has made retention financially viable for growers who would otherwise face replanting pressure. The project also trains vineyard workers in the specific pruning techniques old vines require, partnering with FELCO Africa and Imvini Wethu for annual winter training. The OVP's broader legacy extends to genetic conservation: several old vine Chenin Blanc clonal selections documented by the project are no longer found in France, making South Africa an unexpected custodian of varieties extinct in their region of origin.

• Connecting farmers to winemakers paying 8,000 to 15,000 rand per ton for old vine fruit has transformed the economics of old vine retention, replacing the cooperative penalty model
• Around 85% of old vines historically resided within the cooperative system; the OVP has worked to bring cooperative members on board and helped some transition to producing their own premium old vine wines
• Annual winter pruning training, supported by FELCO Africa, treats old vine management as sculpting rather than pruning, addressing each vine individually given its unique history and health
• The OVP's plant-to-grow-old philosophy includes promoting virus-free planting material to ensure today's young vines have a genuine chance to reach heritage status in future decades