The white grape variety (also Therona) is a new cross between Cape Riesling (Crouchen) x Chenin Blanc. The cross was made in South Africa in 1980 by Christiaan Johannes Orffer (1926-2008), with the name honouring the viticulture pioneer and professor at Stellenbosch University, C.J. Theron. The early ripening vine was specially bred for South African climatic conditions with artificial irrigation and thus required rot resistance. The first wine was vinified in 1986. In 2016, 67 hectares of vines were reported in South Africa with a strong downward trend (Kym Anderson).
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