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Stellenbosch - It seems as if the vines have been predicting the dry summer with many vines adopting conservative growth and yield, according to the Sperling family of the Delheim Wine Estate near Stellenbosch.
They said the past growing season has been very dry and warm. From the get go the season was early as winter rains were below average and spring temperatures above average. Grapevine growth has been good and not overly vigorous.
Regarding the vinous fruit, they say the grapes look extremely healthy and they were able to cut the usage of fungicides quite substantially.
At the moment grapevine canopies still appear in good shape and they were able to avoid excessive leaf yellowing and sunburn on the grapes, as these are the two biggest dangers in a dry season.
"We expect the vintage to be rather compact with a small harvesting window for high quality wine. Therefore we will have to be astute in our planning to pick at optimal ripeness as over-ripeness will be lurking around every corner. The stakes are high but the reward will be excellent," explained the Sperlings.
According to Delheim destination manager Charlotte Terblanche, there was an increase in tourists visiting the estate over the holiday period.
“Arrivals in South Africa over the peak period of December till January saw a 7% increase in foreign travellers, according to Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba. Exactly what we have experienced at Delheim in December," said Terblanche.
International visitors to the estate were mainly from Europe, Asia and Australia, while local clients were mainly from Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Bloemfontein and Durban.
Wine sales increased by 40% and picnics on the estate were popular.
