A chromosome-scale genome assembly of the South African wine-grape cultivar Pinotage

Developed in 1924 at Stellenbosch University through a cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault, Vitis vinifera cv. Pinotage is one of the few internationally recognised South African grape cultivars and remains a flagship variety of the South African wine industry. In celebration of its centenary, we present the first high-quality, haplotype-resolved genome assembly for Pinotage. As the first genomic resource available for Pinotage, we hope this will aid further research efforts to characterise and leverage its distinctive molecular biology for both scientific and industry applications.