Perold Abraham Isak

The South African viticulture pioneer Professor Abraham Isak Perold (1880-1941) was born in Cape Town. He studied mathematics, physics and chemistry at Victoria High School in Stellenbosch and also obtained a PhD (philosophy) in Halle, Germany in 1904. This is where his excellent knowledge of German comes from. During a study trip lasting several years he got to know France in particular. In 1906 he received the temporary chair of chemistry at the University of Cape Town. From 1917 to 1928 he worked at the University of Stellenbosch, where under his leadership the departments of viticulture and oenology were created.

He was commissioned by the government to research the suitability of European vines in South Africa. From his travels he brought 177 varieties to South Africa, which form the core of the still existing collection at the experimental farm Welgevallen of Stellenbosch University. In 1910 he discovered the Barlinka variety in Algeria and introduced it to South Africa as table grape. He became internationally known mainly for the later so named new variety Pinotage, which he created in 1924 by crossing Hermitage (the Cinsaut so named in South Africa) x Pinot Noir. A manual on viticulture entitled "Oor Wynbou" (Our Viticulture) was published in 1926. In 1928 Perold was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at Stellenbosch University. From this time on, he also worked for many years as an expert for the central winegrowers' cooperative of South Africa KWV (Kooperatiewe Wijnbowers Vereniging van Zuid Afrika).