Ray Smuts WINE competitors France and Chile may well be, but the importance of sharing know-how is underscored by collaborative research projects soon to be undertaken by South African academic Dr Eben Archer. The associate professor of Viticulture and Oenology at the University of Stellenbosch will undertake these projects at the universities of Montpellier in France and Talca in Chile. Archer has assisted over 60 Cape wineries in either establishing or upgrading their vineyards. He has also consulted to wineries in California, Chile and Argentina, and was recently appointed full-time viticultural adviser to the LUSAN Group of prime Stellenbosch wineries - Le Bonheur, Uitkyk, Stellenzicht, Alto and Neethlingshof - owned jointly by Distell and German industrialist Schreiber. All are top export products, Neethlingshof having been named South African Wine Producer of the Year at the annual International Wine and Spirit Competition in London, and Stellenzicht winning gold at the same event. Distell’s corporate affairs director Andre Steyn says: “Gaining full-time access to Dr Archer’s world-class expertise represents a major coup. The impact of his approach to wine growing has already yielded very positive results and with the long-term objectives he has established for all five properties we are confident of achieving even higher performance results.”
