News

Our annual Blessing of the Harvest ceremony at La Motte stays such a special opportunity to express our gratitude for another harvest and to celebrate with the team. This year, for me, the blessing also extends to the fact that we are still able to farm and make a contribution. Agriculture is such an important industry in South Africa, but like many of the other businesses and industries with the potential to build our economy, it is often threatened, challenged and prevented from operating at its peak.

The beauty of the winelands delights all who visit the Cape; it’s a beauty distinctive to each area, making it unnecessarily difficult to pick a favourite.

One region remarkable for its isolated beauty is the dramatic and spectacular Cederberg. Covering 66811 ha of mountainous terrain on the West coast, the fynbos-rich Cederberg was proclaimed a Wilderness in 1973. It is a haven for campers, mountain climbers, hikers, rock art and wildlife enthusiasts and anyone who likes to get away from it all.

Discover the finest restaurants within sprawling wine farms in Cape Town and surrounds. 

In this exploration of foodie delights, we will unveil the top restaurants where exquisite cuisine harmonizes with the beauty of vineyard landscapes. 

Embrace the fusion of culinary mastery and viticultural splendour as we navigate through the flavours, and hospitality that define the experience of dining at the best restaurants on wine farms.

The Cape Wine Academy introduces the 14 students who have successfully completed the challenging third-level Diploma Wine Course.

“This is a significant achievement that requires asserted theory study hours as well as diverse wine tasting practice to gain an in-depth appreciation of global wines in the context of South Africa,” says Cape Wine Academy principal, Heidi Duminy. “We are very proud of this diverse group of graduates who are poised to use this valuable education to contribute to many spheres inside and outside the wine industry as well as the people within their circle of influence.”

Harvest 2024 kicked off some 10 days earlier than the average for Diemersdal, the result of a dry summer and a warm, sunny start for the new year’s vineyard conditions.

Despite the more than 900mm of rain Diemersdal saw last year, and along with a harsh, cold winter, the lack of surface moisture led to grapes reaching ripening levels earlier than which is normally the case. Currently Diemersdal is harvesting its primary cultivar, Sauvignon Blanc, at a rate of knots with some 100t of grapes hitting the winery each day and the harvesters running from 02.00 to capture the fruit’s cool pre-dawn zest.

You don’t have to leave the Mother City to experience world-class wine farms…

South Africa’s first wine was created in Cape Town over three-and-a-half centuries ago, and the Mother City is still proudly producing wine. From heritage estates in Constantia (where the country’s first wine farm was established in 1685) to modern wineries in Durbanville, the Wine of Origin Cape Town district includes 30 wine farms, scattered north and south of Table Mountain. 

Bound together by great similarities in terroir, and cool coastal winds, the furthest is a mere 36km from the centre of Cape Town. 

Viticulture experts have submitted their second estimate for the anticipated 2024 wine grape harvest, offering a comprehensive overview of the current state of South Africa’s vineyards. The figures, adjusted to account for the impact of diverse weather conditions during the growing season, reveal an estimated national wine grape harvest marginally down on the first estimate but higher than the 2023 harvest.

“While this estimate reflects a marginal 1.2% decrease from the initial December estimate, it remains notably higher than the 2023 harvest. Despite the slight reduction, the current projection for 2024 still falls below the five-year average,” says Etienne Terblanche, head of consultation services at Vinpro.

Earlier than anticipated, our Winemaker, Morné Very, has initiated the harvest at Delaire Graff Estate.

Throughout the year and as harvest time draws near, Morné works closely alongside Estate Viticulturist Kallie Fernhout as they meticulously manage the vineyards to ensure that growth and ripening periods take place at a complimentary pace – while at the same time anticipating and understanding that they are beholden to Mother Nature.

A long, wet winter, followed by ample sunshine and intense heat, has resulted in the development of the tannins in our grapes' skins and phenolic ripeness has been achieved. Sugar, acidity and tannins are now at their optimum levels and in perfect balance, and it is time for the fruit to be carefully handpicked.

It is all systems go on De Wetshof Estate in Robertson as this pioneering Cape Chardonnay producer begins harvesting vintage 2024 with early indications showing brisk acidity and low pH levels in Chardonnay picked on the farm’s vineyards planted to rich limestone soils.

This year’s vintage follows an unusually wet winter, as well as torrential spring rain in September last year.

“De Wetshof experienced 430mm of rain last year, some 130mm more than the average,” says Johann de Wet, CEO of De Wetshof. “March last year was a cracker with 131mm falling just as we were wrapping-up the 2023 harvest, and then another 82mm pummelled down in September.”