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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.”

South African wine grape producers expect a good and somewhat larger 2024 wine grape crop compared to the relatively small harvest of 2023. This is according to the first of four wine crop estimates issued annually by viticulturists and producer cellars. This estimate, however, is still lower than the average harvests of the past 10 years.

Cool and wet conditions characterised the post-harvest period and provided welcome relief during the recovery of vines after the harvest. The lower crop load of 2023, the early completion of the harvest and sufficient water availability positively contributed to vineyard reserves to start the winter on a good footing.

Durbanville family-owned wine estate Diemersdal kept the flag flying for Pinotage at this year's Global Fine Wine Challenge between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the USA by securing a Double Gold accolade for the Diemersdal Pinotage Reserve 2022.

Held annually in Sydney, Australia, the Global Fine Wine Challenge sees 120 wines from each of these participating New World countries being scrutinised by a panel of judges aimed at selecting the best of what this segment of the wine world has to offer.

Paul Clüver Family Wines in Elgin once again underscored its status as a pre-eminent Chardonnay winery in securing one Master accolade and two Gold medals at the annual Global Masters tasting for Chardonnay, an international showcase for wines made from the noble Burgundian variety.

At this year's Global Chardonnay Masters tasting, a top-achiever Masters award was presented to Paul Clüver Seven Flags Chardonnay 2022, with the Golds going to two of the Elgin winery's Estate Chardonnays, namely those from vintages 2020 and 2021.

Tokara Director’s Reserve White 2020 was crowned Best New World White Blend, bringing home the trophy as the highest scoring wine in its class from the 2023 Global Fine Wine Challenge.

The flagship white of this acclaimed family-owned Stellenbosch wine estate, Tokara Director’s Reserve White triumphed over blends from six New World wine growing nations in this international wine competition hosted annually in Australia. Tokara’s flagship red blend, the Director’s Reserve Red 2020, also excelled with a Gold medal in this illustrious line-up.

With the last of the major South African and International wine awards just-in to end 2023, we can look back at one of our most successful years in terms of accolades won at wine competitions and commendations from other ratings platforms.

A burst of confetti at Cape Town’s GrandWest Grand Arena on Sunday 19 November concluded the much-anticipated 2023 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards ceremony, where over 800 guests gathered to celebrate South Africa’s culinary excellence.

Embracing the star-rating system introduced in 2022, South Africa’s top restaurants were awarded with 3, 2 or 1 stars following a meticulous judging process led by chief judge Abigail Donnelly. The criteria spanned the entire spectrum of the dining experience – from decor and ambience to service, the wine list and the quality of the ingredients – with restaurants needing to score between 70 and 79 out of 100 to win 1 star, between 80 and 89 to win 2 stars, and over 90 to win 3 stars.