South African producers ‘optimistic’ for 2024 harvest

Wine producers in South Africa are positive about the 2024 harvest following “ideal winter conditions” and rainfall across all regions this year.

Following a smaller harvest in 2023, predictions compiled by the industry bodies Vinpro and SAWIS, claim that a “spirit of optimism can be observed at this early stage”.

Cool, wet conditions that prevailed throughout the 2023 harvest continued into autumn providing “much-needed relief” during the critical period when vines were recovering after the harvest.

In spite of climate change where rising winter temperatures and warm periods cause issues, South African wine regions had an “excellent winter season” with sustained low temperatures and high rainfall.

Spring was earlier that usual, with the first bud breaks around a fortnight than the previous season, and budding percentages were consistently high and “particularly even”, which was due to the good conditions across winter.

Full potential

Etienne Terblanche, head of consultation services at Vinpro, said that good decision-making and agility will however be crucial to harness the full potential of the season.”

“Torrential downpours and strong winds at the end of September and accompanying floods damaged infrastructure and made vineyards on riverbanks impassable. The extent of damage and impact on productions will only become clear later in the season, but we are acutely aware that some regions were impacted much more than others.”

South Africa Wine CEO Rico Basson said he “remains optimistic” despite the limited impact of decreasing vineyards area in the country, and cases of frost and flood damage in some areas.

He said: “Continuous innovation at farm level in combination with excellent conditions during winter could tip the scales in favour of the producer in 2024. Informed decision-making and agility to harness the full potential of the season are now of key importance.”

He also thanked the deployment of a flood app on 26 September from the Western Cape Department of Agriculture to assess initial flood damage, with a ground assessment currently underway with verification assessments due to take place during the last week of October.

Previous years

Previous harvests have seen a number of different outcomes. In 2021, there was a bumper 2021 harvest thanks to cool temperatures, unusually high rainfall and a late harvest.

But in 2022, there was a smaller grape crop than in 2021, with Stellenbosch proving an exception. A largely cool season and moderate weather conditions led to slower-than-usual ripening in most of wine-producing regions that year and harvest delays of 10 to 14 days. However, producers said it resulted in “stunning flavour and colour” in its wines.

Climate change

The news comes during chaotic and unpredictable climatic conditions have resulted in a variety of national outcomes for wine producers across Europe and the Americas.

One producer in Italy, Sandro Bottega, described the Prosecco harvest as an “annus horribilis”. He said: “I can’t remember a harvest like it in the last 40 years. In July I was optimistic because with the amount of sun and rain we were predicting a special year, but now I’m really demoralised.”

In France, a hotline had to be set up by the local agricultural body in Bordeaux to help “traumatised” winegrowers deal with the devastating impact of a second bout of mildew in July.

Nicolas Morain from MSA Gironde, said: “Some have lost everything already. We have never seen this – mildew spared no one this year” and that some wine-growers were even considering their careers due to the mildew, and it was “very traumatic” for those trying to control it.