Winery Fire Report

Friday, 6 March, 2015
Shante Hutton
"I see fire, inside the mountain. I see fire, burning the trees. And I see fire hollowing souls. I see fire..." poignant lyrics as we reflect on a tragedy that began in the early hours of March 1st and that has spread, consuming all in its path.

The fire broke out in Muizenberg last Saturday and details are still unclear on how it began but the devastation is very evident with over 5000 hectares of land engulfed in flames and now smouldering under hot ash. 

We're currently in a moment of remission and many fire-fighters are finally getting a much needed rest - but we know how quickly things can change, especially with Cape Town winds and the added influence of the extreme heat that we are facing.

But what of the damage? How have the Cape Town wineries fared? As the thick cloud of smoke slowly disperses, many winemakers must now think of the potential smoke-damage done to the grapes as most cultivars are extremely susceptible to smoke taint - which can leave grapes exhibiting flavours that resemble leather, ashtrays and smoked meats and at high levels, the grapes can be unpalatable.

Here are some updates from the Constantia Wine Valley... 

Steenberg

Fortunately they were done with 95% of their harvest. They managed to stop the fire about 3 metres from the vines - too close for comfort says winemaker JD Pretorius.

They do have a large amount of ash everywhere with one or two small fires flaring up here and there but everything is under control for them.

They picked the last of their Semillon yesterday (5/3) but have more than half of their Merlot and Shiraz on the vine still - the effects of the smoke remains to be seen.

Constantia Uitsig – don’t have status but the Tokai forest and Manor House burnt extensively

Groot Constantia

Says Jean Naudé, CEO of Groot Constantia - “The situation currently looks much better than it did the previous nights and it doesn’t seem that there has been any serious fire damage for which we are extremely grateful. The situation could’ve been a lot worse,” says Naudé, who advises that once the smoke has cleared they will be able to assess the full extent of the damage but that they plan to be back to ‘business as usual’ as soon as possible.

“We are anticipating more smoke damage than actual fire damage – but at this stage we cannot ascertain exactly how bad it will be.”

Buitenverwachting:

A press release on their Social Media channels says "We battled the fires of the valley with huge support from fellow farmers, friends and neighbours - thank you. Plus endless offers, food and cool drinks arrived at our premises.

The day started as one of Cape Town’s hottest days and we harvested Viognier. From 16h00 we had to battle the fires and thought we were on top of things at around 2 am; a blistering North West wind flared up in minutes and a massive inferno started, starving us of oxygen and showering us with high speed sparks and killer heat. We concentrated on saving the thatch buildings - Our team has worked solidly for 30 hours and we are grateful to their amazing commitment. "


How big is 5000 hectares?  See the map on www.ewn.co.za to get an idea of the size (compared to New York, Sandton, London & others) - http://ewn.co.za/assets/cape-fire-a-comparison/ 

 

We will keep updating this news item when we receive new reports. 

I believe we can be grateful for the very early harvest experienced in the Cape as many grapes have already been brought into the cellars but vegetation and historical buildings have suffered the brunt of the fire's force. Thank God for the tireless efforts of our Fire Fighters.

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Fire above Westlake in Cape Town (Dani Jones, News24 User)
Fire above Westlake in Cape Town (Dani Jones, News24 User)

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