Most challenging year ahead for South African's wine industry
2018 is shaping up to be one of the most challenging for South Africa’s wine industry, according to Francois Viljoen, the head of viticulture and soil science at VinPro.
With one of the smallest crops in over a decade expected this year, largely due to the ongoing drought in the Western Cape, Viljoen said the wine industry in Europe and California had also been badly effected by inclement weather.
“My hope for the wine industry is that, with declining vineyards and the expected smaller crop, prices will improve,” he said at the annual Nedbank VinPro information day for the wine industry. He pointed out that many vineyards have been neglected as water was prioritised for more profitable crops, with some vineyards in the Olifants River area being abandoned completely.
“This is a drastic step, but what else can you do with just 17% of your usual annual water supply?" he asked.
More vines are being uprooted than are being planted, he noted, and this trend has accelerated in recent years, estimating that the local wine industry has seen a reduction of more than 6,000 hectares of vineyards over the past 10 years.
“The inevitable is starting to happen; severe stress in our vineyards. If a vineyard is not irrigated, the berries cannot develop to their properl size.”
However, he said that a lot could happen in the next six to eight weeks of the harvest period. He also urged South African wine producers to consider planting varietals that are more suited to the country’s growing conditions.
"We learnt a lot during the season, for instance that certain cultivars are not suitable for certain regions. We will have to start thinking differently about this in South Africa. The impact of climate change is a reality."
VinPro represents around 2,500 South African wine producers, cellars and wine-related businesses.