Project title
The use of multi-source data for a site selection model for the South African wine industry

Project leader
Carey, V A

Institution
University of Stellenbosch

Team members
Mulidzi, R
Wallace, M
Beukes, H
Saayman, D
Archers, E
Viljoen, F
Theron, C W
Ellis, F
Bonnardot, V
Kidd, M
Van der Merwe, Y

Project description
A meeting was held with the Winetech Terroir Program Committee in order to discuss the Terroir Research Program. It was noted that the overarching aim of the wine grape terroir program should be to integrate all data pertaining to the interaction of different cultivars with their growing environment in a data base and GIS platform in order to be able to formulate a model to serve as a decision aid for site selection. This data must include soil and climate information and should include data from past and current research projects, wine shows, and individual cellar data management systems (including Wine MS). The outcome should be in the form of a digital product to aid decision making.

The main objectives of this project are therefore:
1. Inventory all available viticultural measurements and associated climatic and soil data from past and current research projects and individual cellar data management systems as well as wine show results and associated climate and soil data.
2. Compile a database of data accumulated
3. Identify gaps in data
4. Construct a statistical site selection model

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