Petri de Beer | wine.co.za

Petri de Beer

Winemaker, agricultural economist, farmer, and writer. Petri de Beer is an award-winning winemaker based in Stellenbosch. Having finished his Masters degree in Wine Chemistry at Stellenbosch University, he is currently broadening his repertoire with a PhD degree in Agricultural Economics focussing on the South African wine industry and writing for wine.co.za about topical issues affecting the industry.

Wednesday, 12 March, 2025

Why do wine farmers even bother with it all?

Why do wine grape producers stick to their vines despite facing tough economic times and having more profitable options?

Wednesday, 26 February, 2025

Keeping it cool: The impact of wine cellar cooling

Mastering the complexities of cellar cooling system infrastructure is crucial for maximising efficiency during harvest time.

Monday, 17 February, 2025

The enduring influence of French grape varieties

French wine grape varieties have an iconic status that makes them exceptionally difficult to compete with on the global stage.

Thursday, 30 January, 2025

Wine in the desert

How did wine grapes come to be cultivated in the remote Kalahari Desert, and what has caused their dramatic decline in recent years?

Monday, 20 January, 2025

Tapping into our uncut gems: The state of affairs of South Africa's indigenous cultivars

Visionary winemakers are championing South Africa's indigenous cultivars.

Wednesday, 13 December, 2023

Do you know what is in your glass? The enigma of natural wine

Called the last great innovation in wine by some and a blight on the industry by others.

Monday, 27 March, 2023

A day in the life of winemaker during harvest: Wilhelm Kritzinger

Find out what Bellevue winemaker Wilhelm Kritzinger gets up to on a typical day in the harvest season.

Thursday, 26 January, 2023

Loss of a historic wine farm

Another winelands lifestyle estate is under development in Cape Town.

Tuesday, 20 December, 2022

Organic: fad or the future?

To move from the fringes of agriculture into a fully-fledged niche market is no easy feat. But somehow this is exactly wat organic farming has achieved.

Monday, 7 November, 2022

An ace up our sleeves

There was once said that a bottle of 5 year brandy had more power than any amount of money to grease the wheels of public administration in SA.

Tuesday, 4 October, 2022

What the wine industry can teach the rest of South African agriculture

With CapeWine – a time to celebrate the achievements of the SA wine industry – on everybody’s mind, Petri de Beer reflected on the wine industry and where we are headed.

Friday, 16 September, 2022

A slow death to a curable disease

Stellenbosch is the heart of the South African wine industry.

Friday, 26 August, 2022

Why Monopoly sucks

Are the various monopolies affecting the South African wine industry a problem?

Friday, 29 July, 2022

Uncut gems: Indigenous South African wine grape cultivars and their potential

When you say “South African wine”, the two cultivars that spring to mind are Pinotage and Chenin Blanc.

Thursday, 17 March, 2022

The myth of sustainable agriculture

Considering the notion that agriculture is an inherently destructive endeavour, 'sustainable agriculture' will always be just a dream.

Monday, 7 March, 2022

South African wine industry: Masters of our own destruction?

A look at what could be the reasons for the friction the South African wine industry is experiencing in working with the government and having our concerns and problems addressed in a meaningful way.