Darling Cellars harvest report - February 2023

The 2023 harvesting season at Darling Cellars started a little earlier than last year. This was due to the lower rainfall during winter and spring. The grapes received are healthy and we are delighted with the flavour concentration in early grapes.

The Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay are looking very promising. The flavours of the fermenting moss is very beautiful and we are very excited about how the wines will turn out. However, the yields are lower than last year and this can be directly attributed to the lower rainfall. We have had approximately 250mm lower rainfall than the previous year and in September, which is a critical month for grape development, we didn't get any rain. We had two thunderstorms in November and December, but unfortunately, this could not make up the deficit. At Darling Cellars 90% of our vines are grown as bush vines; not trellised and with no irrigation. Therefore, ample rain is needed during grape development and this was lacking.

Harvesting conditions are very favourable so far. The hot weather that is typical of February has hit us, but luckily the afternoons and evenings cool off quite a bit. The cool breezes coming in from the nearby Atlantic ocean, helps a lot to cool the area down. This is perfect for preserving the flavours of the white grapes and to slow down ripening of the red grapes. A longer ripening period leads to better quality grapes.

Currently, we estimate that the harvest could be 10-15% lower than the previous year. But it is still early days with a lot of grapes to be harvested. It also varies a lot between the different cultivars and areas where they are planted.

One of the biggest challenges this year will be the power outages. Although we have generators to help where needed, this will place an enormous financial burden on the cellar as well as producers. This is not sustainable.

"We are optimistic and very grateful for the good quality grapes we have received so far. Nature always makes winemaking interesting. We are looking forward to share the fruits of our efforts in a few months' time,"  says Pieter-Niel Rossouw head winemaker at Darling Cellars.