20 Feb Harvest 2017 in Full Swing
It’s harvest time at the farm, and things are in full swing at the moment! This week we catch our winemakers Anthony, Stephanie and Annette in a moment of respite between the vineyards and cellar, and ask them how the yields for Harvest 2017 are going …
This year, the word on the tip of everyone’s tongue within the Western Cape is no doubt ‘drought’. With approximately 23% water remaining in our dams, harvest 2017 is sure to take a knock. Says Anthony, Chief Winemaker at Fairview:
“As far as the drought is concerned, Darling and Swartland are the most affected, although we are seeing marginally better crop levels from last year. We’re short on our Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc grapes. But the positive news is that the quality coming in looks good – it’s still early days though, but the fermenting grapes that we already have are expressive and looking good.”
Meanwhile, Stephanie comments on the fact that the white grape harvest is almost complete, with Riesling the only variety remaining to be picked. “I’m happy to report that our white grapes have a fresh, high acidity which we don’t always expect with such warm weather, so this is a welcoming ray of hope with all the challenges facing us. We’ve seen smaller berry sizes, much like 2016, which give lower juice yield on white wine but have a higher skin-to-flesh ratio on the reds”.
With about 3 weeks left to go of harvest on the farm, Annette says she is looking forward to seeing how the Roussanne will show, as the vines have reached their maturity and the grapes looked very promising. “My focus is shifting to the reds now, and I’m particularly excited to work with the Cinsault and Grenache – two aromatic red varieties that are growing beautifully in our vineyards.”
Here’s wishing the best of luck (and energy) to our tireless winemakers and cellar staff team during this period, as they work effortlessly from dusk till dawn to bring us our beloved Fairview wines!
