Winemakers toast to a good harvest
There have been predictions of a lower grape yield for the 2022 harvest — so why are the winemakers so upbeat?
If the recent prediction of a lower grape yield for the 2022 harvest unnerved regular tipplers, they can sit back, relax, and pour another glass. The wine industry says there will be neither a shortage nor a price increase.Vinpro, which represents producers and businesses in the industry, and SA Wine Industry Information & Systems, which collects, processes and disseminates facts about it, last month estimated that this year’s crop would be smaller than in 2021. They highlighted the Northern Cape, Robertson and Olifants River regions as the most affected, largely because vineyards had been uprooted there.But wine producers are not concerned."It’s still a big harvest," says Johannes Mellet, viticulturist at Klawer Cellars in Olifants River."It’s a slightly lower expected harvest, but it’s not like [a 10% drop]. It’s more like 5% or 4% lower, which is normal. We’re working with nature. You can’t do exactly the same thing and expect exactly the same return, because climate will play a ...
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