The 2024 harvest season in South Africa has been a journey marked by careful planning and adaptability of wine producers in the face of diverse climatic adversities and various disruptions, according to South Africa Wine.
Despite facing demanding climatic events, from frost and heavy winter rainfall to floods and wind, the industry’s adaptability transformed this harvest into one of the most remarkable in recent memory.
“Excellent winter conditions in most wine-grape-growing regions raised high expectations for the harvest,” said Dr Etienne Terblanche, Vinpro Consultation Services manager.
“However, the most significant impact of the spring conditions was the prolonged wet soils, which directly affected root systems and access to necessary plant reserves. The summer trend was markedly warmer and drier than the previous year, adding another layer of complexity to the harvest. One of the standout aspects of this season was the exceptional sanitary condition of the grapes – a rarity in rainy harvest seasons and a testament to the industry’s resilience and adaptability.”
The 2024 grape harvest yielded 1 099 051 tons from 87 848 hectares, a 7% decrease from 2023, according to the latest harvest estimate by industry body SAWIS.
“This, combined with strong market demand, has led to the industry’s wine stock levels reaching equilibrium – a significant achievement compared to some of our competitors, who are still grappling with a wine surplus and having to resort to drastic measures such as uprooting vineyards. While the lower volumes imply considerable cost pressure to wine producers, it also serves the sector’s commitment to ensuring value growth across markets,” South Africa Wine said.
The 2024 wine harvest – including juice and concentrate for non-alcoholic purposes, wine for brandy, and wine for distilling – is estimated to amount to 857.1 million litres, at a recovery of 780 litres per ton of grapes.
Early cultivars yielded significantly lighter crop sizes than expected across most regions. The later red cultivars generally produced improved yields.
Winemakers were excited about the wine quality overall, especially full-bodied red wines with exceptional colour and tannin extraction levels. On the white cultivar spectrum, oenophiles can look forward to fresh wines with ample texture and mouthfeel, according to South Africa Wine.
South Africa is the world's seventh largest wine producer, producing about 4% of the world’s wine. The wine industry contributes more than R56.5 billion to the country’s GDP and employs 270 364 people across the value chain, of which 85 962 work on farms and cellars.
“The outstanding quality of the wines from the 2024 harvest underscores South Africa’s unwavering commitment to spotlighting its world-class offerings,” said Siobhan Thompson, Wines of South Africa CEO.
“This achievement not only strengthens our foothold in the global market, but also enhances our continuous efforts to seize a larger value share of export markets.”
Cape Times