How Cattle and Ducks Are Helping a South African Vineyard Produce Superior Wine
A historic wine estate near Stellenbosch is turning to cattle, sheep, and ducks to elevate the quality of its vineyards. Hartenberg Wine Estate has become the first vineyard in South Africa to earn international certification for regenerative farming practices designed to restore soil health and enhance biodiversity.
It’s not every day that a winemaker herds cattle through vineyards, but that’s exactly what viticulturalist Wilhelm Joubert does at Hartenberg. He oversees 80 hectares of vineyard production, applying regenerative techniques that focus on improving the soil naturally. “The way we are farming, the focus is on soil: to improve soil, and soil is complex. Soil health is part of that. We farm in a way that regenerates the soil, using less input from outside,” Joubert explains.
In 2025, Hartenberg became the first South African vineyard to receive Ecological Outcome Verification from the Savory Institute in the United States. This certification recognizes regenerative viticulture practices that restore and enhance ecosystems within and around the vineyard. To fill gaps in scientific data on regenerative winemaking, Stellenbosch University launched a three-year study at Hartenberg in 2025, called the Regenwine project.
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