Friday - 10 February 2023

David says growth was moderate from the beginning as spring was a very dry season with

constant winds - ideal for the slow growth of the canopy allowing the vineyards to thicken out

creating a stronger highway for nutrients for the grapes.

The early summer rain was well accepted by the Helderberg wineries, seen as relief rain which

slowed the ripening of the grapes and led to continuous ripening. The common misconception is

that rain during the summer months means that the harvest is lost, this is true but only in

extreme cases. Mark talks us through the rain threshold. “In the heat of summer, you require at

least 10mm of rain before the water reaches effective soil depth for the vineyard to use for

growth. That’s quite a bit of rain before causing negative actions.”

Reynie says, “The December rain just before Christmas allowed the vineyards to go through

veraison without any issues.” Veraison is the term used to describe the onset of ripening, going

hand in hand with the colour change from green to purple in red grapes. Winemaker, Alex

Starey confirms that the rain in December was relief rain. “The vineyards dried out quite a bit

towards the end of last year, but then we had rain in December which caused growth. We now

have a healthy crop hanging.”

“Continuous ripening is what winemakers are after as this leads to berry development rather

than berry enlargement,” explains Mark. The slower ripening in cooler conditions leads to riper

tannins, good fruit development, and richness in the final wine product. The extremities of

weather are what stand between a winery and continuous ripening - if the weather is too warm

the vine shuts down and dehydrates which increases the sugar concentration in the grape, this

can lead to higher levels of alcohol and imbalances in the wine; extreme cold is also an

unwanted condition as the vine will also shut down and this stunts the growth of the vine.

The thunder that scared most of us was a blessing in disguise for the agricultural industry. David

says that the unusual thunder in December had a positive impact on the grapevines as nitrogen

plays a pivotal role. “There is no better nitrogen than natural nitrogen and the positive influence

could be seen immediately - the vines kept on growing which should result in a bit longer hang

time for good phenolic ripeness.”

With the rain, we experienced in the summer months many thought that powdery mildew would

be an issue, but as Reynie from Kleinood says, “Keeping our feet in the vineyards made sure

that no powdery mildew issues were picked up.” This scarcity of mildew and fungal infection is

evident throughout the Helderberg region, this is due to the experience of growing vineyards on

the Helderberg Mountain.

Each winemaker’s intimate knowledge of the conditions of the Helderberg Mountain can be

seen throughout their vineyards. At Waterford Estate for example heat waves are being

managed with canopy control. “We never break away any leaves on our vines to aid in sunlight

penetration, we rather work with narrower canopies that allow for sunlight to pierce through the

canopy but reduce the risk of direct sunlight on the grapes,” says Mark.

As the harvest season continues, the wineries will pursue to be attentive to their vines,

assessing them daily and choosing when to harvest. Reynie mentions that winemaking is an art

and taking the gamble of when to pick is a cumulation of knowledge, science and experience.

“We will continue to taste as we go through the vineyards this vintage and make sure to pick on

taste and not just sugars.”

As a whole, the Helderberg wine region is looking at a healthy harvest for the 2023 vintage. The

experience of these wineries and their teams are showcased in every vintage, the quality of the

grapes grown is without question, and the wine never ceases to impress all who taste it.

#FunFact: Vineyards are survivors and have amazing survival mechanisms. When it gets above

+- 35C, the vineyards shut down and close their breathing holes on their leaves thus slowing the

evaporation of water.