The harvest season has begun in the winelands of South Africa and I am looking forward to a good harvest with excellent wines emerging from this vintage.
A cool and long ripening period was undermined at the end by an extreme heatwave. However, the damage was limited and the analysis of the grape juice is still good.
The berries are small with lots of concentration. On average it look like the optimum ripeness will be at lower sugar and alcohol levels.
The photos above are of the blessing of the harvest ceremony which takes place each year at the start of the harvest. In the one photo, I am standing with my wife Hanneli and Edmund Terblanche, the La Motte winemaker.
