(BizCommunity) - South Africa's wine producers are increasingly using modern wine-making technology in a bid to reduce power and water costs, says winemaker Johan Weidenman of Spruitdrift, in the Olifants River wine district. Weidenman said his winery had spent about R18m importing new grape-crushing machines from Germany. The machines reduced the process by at least three steps, cutting down on the amount of water used for washing and extracting grape juice. "The savings are such that the machine pays for itself within three to four years," he said.