SOUTH AFRICA EXPECTS EXCEPTIONAL 2020 VINTAGE DESPITE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN

South Africa’s 2020 wine grape crop is expected to yield exceptional wines. The occurrence of wind during the growing and ripening periods in certain regions contributed to smaller berries, which gave rise to lighter crops and lower juice recoveries. This means that the harvest will be smaller than the five-year average of 1.36 million tonnes but is predicted to be larger than the 2019 harvest, which was impacted by drought. These smaller berries will give good concentration of both colour and flavour, according to Conrad Schutte, manager of the wine industry body Vinpro’s viticultural consultation services, which will result in exceptional wine quality.

The industry is busy harvesting the last few thousand tonnes across eight of its 10 wine regions, thanks to a last-minute concession from the South African Government to continue harvest and winemaking activities during the country’s COVID-19 lockdown from 26 March until 16 April 2020.

When the South African Government published its COVID-19 lockdown regulations on 25 March 2020, all wine industry activities were prohibited, including the production, distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages (which includes local sales and exports) from midnight on 26 March until midnight on 16 April 2020.

However, through advocacy by various industry bodies, Government made a last-minute concession just hours before midnight on 26 March 2020 that “harvesting and storage activities essential to prevent the wastage of primary agricultural goods” would be regarded as essential services that may continue during the lockdown.

“We have a full grasp of the severity of the global COVID-19 pandemic and support President Cyril Ramaphosa on his decision to take extreme measures to ensure the nation’s safety,” says Vinpro MD Rico Basson. “However, the ban on exports and capacity constraints at our main ports will especially have a significant effect on the survival of the South African wine industry, and more importantly, the livelihood of the close to 300 000 persons employed by the value-chain.”

Around half of South Africa’s wine production is exported. Vinpro, SA Liquor Brand Owners Association (SALBA) and Wines of South Africa (WoSA) have put together an Exporters Task Team to strengthen ongoing deliberations with Government.

Despite the challenges the industry has faced, WoSA CEO, Siobhan Thompson says one of the most heartening elements for the South African wine industry has been the increased recognition the country has seen for the quality of its wines.

“As an industry, we have always remained positive, and will continue to do so, despite our current challenges. Once normality returns and we are back to business as usual, our producers will be ready to continue with the sale and promotion of South African wine and hopefully, in years to come, we will remember this period as one that gave us the time for introspection, to regroup and to come back even stronger than we were before,” Thompson says.

The official 2020 South African Wine Harvest Report will be issued on 5 May 2020. -ends-

Date: 07 April 2020

For further enquiries please contact:
Tersina Shieh
Hong Kong project manager, Wines of South Africa  tersina@tersinashieh.com
+852 9849 2677