Making wine, with cattle: Study tests regenerative farming

A multidisciplinary team at Stellenbosch University (SU) in South Africa is leading a major research project to test whether regenerative farming practices can help future-proof wine production in the face of rising climate and sustainability pressures.

The study, known as ReGenWine, represents one of the most comprehensive scientific efforts globally to evaluate regenerative viticulture through integrated, whole-farm trials.

Funded by South Africa Wine, the country’s main industry body, and conducted in collaboration with commercial partner Hartenberg Wine Estate, the three-year study aims to provide much-needed empirical evidence for an approach that has gained wide attention but remains under-researched.

Bringing science to a global movement

Regenerative agriculture broadly refers to farming methods that work with natural systems to improve soil health, increase biodiversity, and enhance ecosystem resilience. In viticulture, this often involves practices such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, composting, and the reintegration of livestock into vineyards.

However, despite growing global interest, the scientific evidence base remains slim. A 2025 review by Flora O’Brien et al highlighted the lack of integrated, long-term studies examining regenerative practices across full vineyard systems, particularly in warm-climate, water-stressed regions. ReGenWine seeks to fill precisely this gap.

“We’re looking at how to work with nature rather than against it – and whether that can deliver measurable benefits for wine farmers,” Professor Melané Vivier, principal investigator of the study and the head of the South African Grape and Wine Research Institute (SAGWRI), housed within SU’s faculty of agrisciences, said.

SU is Africa’s only institution offering full undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in viticulture and oenology.

The launch of ReGenWine comes as the South African wine industry confronts growing pressure to innovate in the face of climate shocks, rising input costs, and changing consumer expectations.

At the 2025 South Africa Wine Summit that took place in Stellenbosch on 22 May, these challenges were front and centre.

The study builds on a 2022-24 pre-trial at Hartenberg, an historic estate outside Stellenbosch that has shifted progressively towards regenerative practices over the past decade.

Earlier this year, Hartenberg became the first wine estate in South Africa, and only the second globally, to be verified under the Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) framework – an evidence-based standard for monitoring and improving soil and plant health.

“When we brought animals in, everything changed,” Wilhelm Joubert, Hartenberg’s viticulturist, said. “We’ve seen the land come alive again – from the return of earthworms and dung beetles to improved soil structure and biodiversity.”

However, he highlighted challenges as well. “It’s romantic to have animals on the farm – but it’s a 24/7 job. They need to be managed. You need to control grazing to get the most out of your cover crops.”

Early results showed promising impacts on soil structure, cover crop viability and livestock integration, but left open questions about longer-term effects on vine health, wine quality and economic feasibility.



The Stellenbosch University team at the launch of the ReGenWine project, from left, Kaiden Jacobs, Dylan Endeacott, Taylor-Jade Muller, Professor Melane Vivier, Dr Brink Van Zyl, Lurika Schuurman, Dr Lawrence Munjonji, Dr Erik Wolfaardt and Julia Harper. Image: Henk Oets

Five principles, five work packages

At its core, regenerative farming is guided by five principles: minimise soil disturbance, keep the soil covered, maintain living roots, encourage plant diversity, and reintroduce grazing animals. The ReGenWine project tests these principles through a multi-layered research design that spans disciplines and sectors.

“It wasn’t difficult to bring everyone together,” Vivier said. “Many of us were already working on aspects of this, but no single person or discipline can cover all of it. That is why this is such a collaborative project – and that is a strength.”

The research is organised into five interdependent work packages, each led by senior SU researchers, supported by postgraduate students:

• The Soil System team, led by Professor Cathy Clarke and co-led by Dr Lawrence Munjonji (department of soil science), analyses carbon levels, microbial communities, water retention and compaction dynamics, addressing concerns about whether livestock might damage vineyard soils.

• The Grapevine to Wine System, headed by Dr Erna Blancquaert (viticulture and oenology), monitors vine physiology, grape development, and juice composition using a combination of field measurements and remote sensing.

Postgraduate students play a central role across the work packages, gaining hands-on experience in applied, interdisciplinary research while contributing directly to the project’s data-gathering and analysis.

Dylan Endeacott, one of the postgraduate students in the team, already made wine from Hartenberg grapes during the pre-trial last year – “and it went well,” he said with a smile. “Now, for my MSc the next two years, I will be analysing how livestock integration affects both vine and wine.”

• The Cover Crop and Animal System, led by Dr Brink van Zyl (animal sciences) and Professor Pieter Swanepoel (agronomy), studies livestock integration, including feed intake, animal performance and nutrient cycling.

“We’re using satellite collars to track cattle movement and map excreta distribution,” Van Zyl explained. “That data feeds directly into the other workstreams to better understand nutrient flows across the system.”

• The Economic and Environmental Circularity team, coordinated by Professor Eric Mungatana (agricultural economics) and Professor Annie Chimphango (chemical engineering), models input-output flows, return on investment, life-cycle impacts, and incorporates emerging consumer preferences for sustainable production.

“As engineers, we look at systems, which explains why we’re involved,” Dr Erik Wolfaardt, a postdoctoral researcher, said. “This project is a complex process with many moving parts.”

• Support systems, led by Julia Harper in the dean’s office, ensures project integration, ethical data stewardship and knowledge transfer.



Ankole cattle in the vineyards at Hartenberg Wine Estate. Image: supplied

Testing whole-system outcomes

The experimental model combines multiple regenerative interventions: cover crops (a mixture of oats and various grasses) are planted between vineyard rows to suppress weeds, retain moisture, and support biodiversity.

After harvest, cattle graze the cover crops. Their manure naturally fertilises the soil, reducing reliance on synthetic fertilisers, while also contributing to diversified farm income because the animals can be sold or be used for meat in the farm’s restaurant, creating an additional income stream.

Hartenberg has become well-known for its striking Ankole cattle – a large-horned African breed – but the ReGenWine study uses Dexter cattle, a smaller and more manageable Irish breed well suited to the tight layout and conditions of vineyards.

While other forms of regenerative viticulture also employ animals – such as ducks to control snails and other pests, or sheep to graze cover crops – ReGenWine chose to focus specifically on cattle in order to create a clear research model for integrated nutrient cycling and economic evaluation.

Hartenberg, itself, has experimented with these alternative animals as part of its broader regenerative transition, but the study concentrates on livestock integration through cattle for the purpose of scientific analysis.

“Wine farmers need assurance that regenerative systems can sustain grape quality and yields over time, and that the benefits outweigh the considerable investment costs involved,” Vivier said. “We’re aiming to provide an evidence base that supports informed decisions.”

Transdisciplinary by design

ReGenWine is transdisciplinary by design, combining academic expertise, public funding and private-sector collaboration. South Africa Wine provides strategic industry input and financial support, while Hartenberg Wine Estate offers a fully operational commercial vineyard as a real-world test site.

Gerard Martin, executive for research, development and innovation at South Africa Wine, emphasised the broader relevance of the work. “Sustainability has become a central concern for producers worldwide. What we learn here won’t just inform local practice – it could position South African wine at the forefront of climate-resilient production globally.”

Laying the groundwork for the future

Vivier stressed that ReGenWine’s ultimate significance lies beyond any single institution.

“Our goal is to build a model that others can adapt and expand,” she said. “We hope this will help advance both science and practice for wine regions facing similar challenges worldwide.”