Innovation and insights

How do you teach a dog to sniff out one of wine’s most notorious contaminants? WineLand meets the researcher and volunteer handlers behind a Stellenbosch University study and discovers what it takes to train a four-legged wine fault detective.

From smarter fermentation to water-saving bottling systems, this year’s SIMEI Innovation Challenge winners offer a glimpse of where winery technology is heading.

The global market for beverage and liquid food machinery is worth R829.02 billion. As SIMEI prepares to open in Milan in November, new figures suggest that packaging, automation and technologies shared across industries could change the next chapter of winemaking.

From lighter bottles to automated packing lines, packaging decisions are becoming increasingly important to the cost and competitiveness of South African wine.

In June this year, the specialised DTC platform Commerce7 introduced a slew of new features that promise to give wineries unprecedented insight into customer behaviour. These new capabilities offer a glimpse into the future of DTC, converting customer experiences into revenue streams.

Brandy, while steeped in tradition, poses complex sustainability challenges. From energy-intensive distillation to water usage and vineyard management, producers are increasingly required to balance craftsmanship with environmental responsibility.

When the helicopters stop circling and the smoke thins across the Franschhoek valley, the headlines fade quickly. But on the ground, long after the last ember is extinguished, the real work begins.

As the world’s second-largest cork closure manufacturer, Diam Bouchage has built its success and reputation on innovation and patented technologies – including the celebrated Diamant process, which produces taint-free cork closures. WineLand asked Eleonor Visser, Oenologist and Consultant for DIAM…

As vineyards across the world face shifting weather patterns - including unpredictable rainfall and rising temperatures - as well as increasing consumer demands for sustainable production every step of the way, not just the farming itself, wine producers are being forced to adapt.

Enartis S.r.l., a leading company of the Esseco Group and a world leader in providing products and technologies for the oenological industry, announces the signing of a preliminary agreement to acquire 100% of Parsec S.r.l., an Italian centre of excellence based in Sesto Fiorentino (Florence)…

Over the past few decades, the wine industry has increasingly relied on selected microorganisms to enhance the reliability and predictability of fermentation.

Tokara is committed to environmental stewardship and sustainable farming practices including organic composting, cover cropping and integrated pest management to minimise its ecological footprint. These practices are meant to preserve Stellenbosch's distinctive heritage for generations to come.