Cape Town and its surrounds produce some of the worlds finest wines. Naturally, we’re a community passionate about the grape (and even more passionate about an evening sip). So, when news broke that 2022 would see a decrease in wine production, we had to do a little digging and put our people at ease.
According to South Africa’s wine grape producers, the 2022 harvest season may bring a smaller wine grape crop. This is mainly due to a decrease in vineyards, high disease pressure and heatwaves in various regions, as per Vinpro. But this doesn’t mean there wont be any wine! Please, Cape Town, don’t do to wine what you did to toilet paper in 2020.
2021 appeared to be an exceptional year for local vineyards as unusually cool weather delayed the annual harvest and produced some incredible wines. The year saw a substantial increase from 2020 by a whopping 8.9% with nearly 1.5 million tonnes of wine grapes harvested, as per Business Insider.
Estimates released by Vinpro in December indicated that this year’s crop would likely be smaller, but still larger than the five-year industry average. A sigh of relief for wine lovers. The second report published by the organisation seems to reiterate this opinion. Another sigh.
“At this early stage, we expect this year’s wine grape crop to be smaller than in 2021,” said Conrad Schutte, manager of Vinpro’s team of viticulturists of the harvest season, which typically runs from January to April.
“The South African wine industry is spread over a wide range of cultivation areas throughout the Western and Northern Cape, with often diverse climatic conditions. Because of this variation, the crop is estimated upwards and others downwards in the respective regions,” Schutte adds.
The organisation, which represents around 2600 South African wine grape producers, cellars and wine-related businesses, stated that while this “smaller harvest” has affected most wine grape-growing regions, it has managed to bypass crucial wine-growing spots such as Stellenbosch, the Cape South Coast and Klein Karoo. Unfortunately, the Northern Cape, Olifants River and Robertson are just a few regions that appear to be the most affected by varying factors, including heatwaves in December and January, which caught some vineyards off guard, causing sunburn damage to grapes.
While you may feel the need to hold your favourite bottle of wine a little closer, you don’t have to worry too much as winter conditions have been excellent for growing wine grapes, with Vinpro reporting that producers have experienced an exceptional growing season, which has been emphasised by higher-than-normal rainfall.
Also Read:
WATCH: How to spend a day in the Bottelary Conservancy, Stellenbosch
Picture: Cape {town} Etc Gallery