South African Wine Information Centre
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Vintage Reports
2007 Wine grape harvest - bigger harvest than in 2006 expected
The 2007 wine grape harvest is estimated at 1,335,050 ton according to the industry’s estimate from producer cellars and viticulturists as at 24 November 2006. This is 2,8 per cent more than the 2006 grape harvest.

Harvest Report 8 : It's a wrap in some regions
Harvest in Darling and Robertson is practically over, but Constantia and Vredendal wineries still have a way to go, writes Kim Maxwell. 
 
Harvest Report 7 : The halfway mark
As remaining cellars reach their halfway mark many positively report physiological ripeness at lower temperatures, hence lower alcohol wines.

Harvest Report 6 : Power outages prove costly for harvesting cellars
Recent electricity power cuts affecting the Western Cape have had an adverse knock-on effect on the 2006 harvest. Kim Maxwell used laptop battery power to file this report on Wednesday, but WineNews web postings were delayed by a day as outages continue.

Harvest Report 5 : Red alert for some Boland and Klein Karoo cellars
Cellars in Paarl, Malmesbury and Calitzdorp have moved into reds, but white varieties are still dominating receiving bins elsewhere.

Harvest Report 4 : Fires singe Southern Cape vineyards as February turns on the heat
Kim Maxwell reports on extensive fire damage of premium Southern Cape vineyards in late January and finds that early February temperatures are giving impetus to harvesting momentum.

Harvest Report 3: Cellar action in Wellington, Tulbagh, Worcester and Paarl
Kim Maxwell does a random check of cellars and finds that a few more are easing into action, but many haven't wet their tanks yet.

Harvest Report 2: Robertson activity is speeding up
Stellenbosch and neighbouring areas aren't harvesting aside from a sprinkling of sparkling wine batches. But Kim Maxwell reports that many Robertson farms are bringing in MCC grapes and Sauvignon Blanc already.

Harvest Report 1 - Fires in focus
As the Cape 2006 harvest trickles into action, attention remains focused on blocking the spread of Boland fires, writes Kim Maxwell.

Beaumont Harvest Report 2005
The 2005 harvest is dedicated to Hope Marguerite Beaumont who has been an inspirational figure for us all and is the namesake of the single vineyard Chenin Blanc that we harvested on her 90th birthday this year.

2005 Wine grape harvest about quality, not quantity
Despite a serious drought, unpredictable weather and lower volumes than last year, the 2005 national wine-grape harvest was superb. Winemakers in all 10 regions agree that this was a record harvest - in terms of quality, not quantity.

Harvest 2005 Part 6 - Remaining regions bring in the last lots
As the harvest wraps up for most by mid-March 2005, a few cellars are still primed for pump-overs. Paarl and surrounds are nearly done and most Darling vineyards have been cleared. As Easter weekend looms, Durbanville reds are coming in fast, while Robertson's unusual weather patterns have forced a frustrating waiting period, writes Kim Maxwell.

Wine shortage to flow from poor harvest
Two consecutive dry winters in most of the South African wine regions have resulted in the sharpest decline in the grape harvest in years, and a shortage in locally produced white wine can be expected later in the year.

Harvest 2005 Part 5 - Major quality areas have swung into action
March 2005 signals the end of whites for some and being in the thick of reds for others. Stellenbosch and Paarl are peaking halfway or ending their vintage, while Durbanville and Darling farms have just started harvesting whites. While some cultivars are down, others have equaled or improved on 2004's crops, writes Kim Maxwell.

Further decrease in grape harvest
Press release by SAWIS (PDF file)

Harvest 2005 - Part 4 : Elgin, Bot River and Walker Bay
Vigilant viticulture and sorting has resulted in nicely aromatic whites and concentrated darker-skinned reds, even if tonnage is down and 2005 doesn't look to be a cracker. It's full throttle ahead in Elgin apple country to wind-whipped Kleinrivier, down Bot River's basking valleys and along the fynbos-hugging curves of the Hemel-en-Aarde, writes Kim Maxwell.

Harvest 2005 - Part 3 : Different patterns up North
Late January heavy rains hampered harvest for many Western Cape cellars. Heading northwest to the Olifants River, and even further to Orange River territory in the Northern Cape, the weather and picking picture is quite different, writes our dedicated harvest-reporter, Kim Maxwell.

Harvest 2005 - Part 2 : High rainfall hits Wellington hardest
Winemakers expected a super-quick harvest during 2005, but heavy rain has slowed the pace. The area surrounding Wellington was one of the hardest-hit, reports our woman on the ground and in the know, Kim Maxwell.

'Unusual season' for SA's winemakers
'Tricky', 'challenging', 'unusual' are some of the descriptions of the grape season 2004/2005. The quality of grapes from the Hemel-en-Aarde valley is expected to be good, even if the growing season wasn't quite ideal. That's the verdict from consulting winemaker for Sumaridge, Kevin Grant.

Harvest 2005 - Part 1
As harvest 2005 kicks off, a weather prediction would probably sound something like: 'Scattered showers of Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Heavier storms to come.' Harvest 2005 started with a drizzle of grapes, but it'll take a weatherman's guesstimate to pinpoint the remaining features.

Unpredictable weather challenges wine farmers
If there is one particular vintage in the Stellenbosch wine region that has had to endure nearly every type of weather condition imaginable, it would be the upcoming 2005 season. According to Nicolette de Kock, chief executive of the Stellenbosch American Express Wine Routes, the vineyards for this year's grapes were exposed to every possible weather condition.

Home-grown Novelle Boland Kelder's first pick
On Wednesday 12 January Boland Kelder picked their first grapes for harvest 2005.

Harvest 2005 arrives early in Robertson
News from Bon Cap and Weltevrede.

Decrease in grape harvest
Press release by SAWIS

Harvest and sales estimate for 2005
Compiled by SAWIS (PDF file)

SA Harvest Report continued...
Olifants River and Orange River regions analysed in last edition.

SA Harvest Report 2004 continued...
A good year for Shiraz in Stellenbosch and Chardonnay in Worcester/Rawsonville.

Harvest Report 2004 continued...
An excellent season for Shiraz in Paarl and Swartland.

SA Harvest Report 2004 continued...
Robertson and Klein Karoo regions under the magnifying glass.

South African Wine Harvest Report 2004
Compiled by SAWIS (PDF file)

Mixed emotions - and ripening - over Stellenbosch harvest
2004 harvest details

Selective sorting but jumbled vintage for Wellington, Paarl and Swartland
Unpredictable and rather higgledy-piggledy harvest

2004 vintage snapshot
Two vintage takes across the Western

No rush! 2004 Sauvignon Blanc takes its time
A regional harvest glance at the first white grape

Harvest 2004 kicks off with a bang
Robertson appears to be first in with the action

Stellenbosch wine farmers expect large, good quality crop
Total wine crop is expected to exceed 2003's

2004 grape harvest same size as 2003...
Given favourable weather conditions

Stellenbosch wine farmers expect large, good quality crop
Total wine crop is expected to exceed 2003's

Harvest and sales estimate for 2004
SAWIS Report

South African Wine Harvest Report 2003 - Orange River
Information supplied by VinPro and SAWIS

South African Wine Harvest Report 2003 - Olifants River
Information supplied by VinPro and SAWIS

South African Wine Harvest Report 2003 - Klein Karoo
Information supplied by VinPro and SAWIS

South African Wine Harvest Report 2003 - Worcester
Information supplied by VinPro and SAWIS

South African Wine Harvest Report 2003 - Swartland
Information supplied by VinPro and SAWIS

South African Wine Harvest Report 2003 - Paarl
Information supplied by VinPro and SAWIS

South African Wine Harvest Report 2003 - Stellenbosch
Information supplied by VinPro and SAWIS

South African Wine Harvest Report 2003 - Robertson
Information supplied by VinPro and SAWIS

An outstanding clean Pinotage vintage
Verdict on tank and barrel samples of 2003 vintage.

Meeting expectations of delivering one of the finest vintages in recent years
2003 Vintage Report.

The 2003 harvest rounded up
Late rains haven't dampened 2003 harvest enthusiasm.

Good 2003 Sauvignon Blanc from Constantia and Durbanville
High expectations haven't been dampened by recent rains.

Elgin gets into swing as Walker Bay scrubs up
2003 Harvest in Elgin, Bot River and Hemel en Aarde.

2003 harvest in Swartland and Tulbagh
The good news continues.

High harvest hopes in Rawsonville and Robertson
Cricket hasn't dashed vintage confidence.

Stellenbosch and Helderberg sitting pretty
Harvest progress and predictions for 2003.

Healthy grape harvest
Increase of 5,5 per cent compared to the 2002 harvest.

Harvest 2003 gets under way
The aroma of fermenting must is once again hovering over the Cape winelands.

Looking forward ...
... and wondering what 2003 holds in store.

Harvest 2002 Overview
South African Wine Harvest Report 2002 by Angela Lloyd

2002: A vintage of fine balance
A wonderful vintage for Pinotage

Harvest 2001: Wrap-up of the Winelands
Kim Maxwell wraps up the Cape's 2001 vintage with comments from a range of areas.

Harvest 2001: Constantia many last grapes in
Kim Maxwell reports that ferments are looking good.

Harvest 2001: Stellenbosch
The vintage is squaring up nicely in one of the Cape's oldest wine regions.

Harvest 2001: Reports from Cape Town's Waterfront
News from Flagstone and Signal Hill

Harvest 2001: Walker Bay
Many producers in Walker Bay are well underway, especially in the Hemel en Aarde Valley.

Harvest 2001: Paarl and Wellington
Kim Maxwell asks producers in Paarl and Wellington to hedge their bets for 2001.

Harvest 2001
A cracker of a year?

Vintage Report: December 2001
An early perspective on the forthcoming harvest.

Robertson, Constantia and Swartland: yields down, optimism not
Kim Maxwell reports on the harvest 2000.

Harvest 2000 - reds OK, but whites?
Good things happen in threes ... or so they say.


South African Wine Harvest Report for 2005 (96k)
South African Wine Harvest Report for 2004 (42k)
South African Wine Harvest Report for 2003 (79k)
South African Wine Harvest Report for 2002 (58k)