A Bountiful Grape Harvest

February and March are significant months for winemakers and wine drinkers alike: they form the harvest season in the Winelands. Viticulturists and wine lovers will know that harvesting conditions determine the quality and flavour of each grape cultivar. It so happens that the conditions accompanying 2023’s harvest season have been conducive to a highquality vintage. Thus, Franschhoek waits with bated breath to discover what this vintage will taste like. Here are some harvest observations from local winemakers:

Craig McNaught, from Stony Brook, says that “While the 2023 harvest is really only beginning at Stony Brook, it has started with a bang. Many of our varieties have ripened at very similar times, which causes some logistical headaches in the cellar, but the quality is looking superb. On the red side, we’ve only harvested Cabernet Franc and Tempranillo so far, but if I were to put money on it, I would say we can expect an epic red wine vintage from 2023.”

DP Burger, from GlenWood Vineyards, says “We are effectively halfway through the 2023 harvest which is roughly 10 to 14 days earlier than the 2022 vintage. The white grapes, especially the Chardonnay, were approximately 30-40% lighter than in 2022 but showed probably the best analyses and quality I have seen in many past vintages. Although we are halfway through in 3 weeks, the remainder of the crop is essentially ready for harvest and the next 10 days will be extremely testing with Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon all ready for the cellar. Excellent vintage at this point.”

Tim Hoek, from Haute Cabrière, says that “It appears to be quite an early, condensed vintage so we anticipate all the grapes will need to be harvested in a short timeframe for optimal fruit. With that in mind, I’m expecting long days in the vineyards and cellar with short nights of sleep during the peak of it. The Pinot Noir grapes are looking especially phenomenal this year.”

Since conditions vary considerably - even across vineyard blocks - winemakers are faced with unique parameters within which to vinify each cultivar optimally. The time at which they choose to harvest depends on the desired style. Indeed, timing is everything, since ripening is dependent on sunlight, water, temperatures, elevation and aspect. This differs between wine farms; hence the different characteristics associated with each farm’s wines. Winemakers truly are engaged in a dedicated and precise process – both art and science – that yields the vinous elixir that our valley is synonymous with.

While the harvest was in full swing, wine industry people also found time to participate in a joyous occasion. 2 February is regarded as the birthday of the South African wine industry. Jan van Riebeeck pronounced on the same day over 360 years ago: “Today, praise be to God, wine was pressed from Cape grapes for the first time.” And so it was that wine would become an integral part of South African history. As part of the celebrations, a Wine Harvest Commemorative Event is held each year at Groot Constantia Wine Estate. This is a beautiful formal blessing of the year’s harvest, recognising all involved in the winemaking process. So, in your own capacity, you are invited to raise your glass to the industry’s 364th birthday!

Text: Leila Shirley | Image: Danielle Comer – Unsplash