The first grapes are being picked in South Africa’s winelands and pretty soon the 2012 harvest will be in full swing. Harvest time in wine country is lively, vibrant, noisy, sometimes stressful and always very hard work. The day starts at dawn, as grapes are regularly picked early in the day when temperatures are coolest. Once the winemaking is underway it’s all hands to deck and working through the night.

Every farm must decide when the optimum time to pick grapes is and the viticulturists will be checking the vines obsessively to ensure the best possible conditions are reached. Often the harvest begins inland, where vineyards are slightly warmer than those on the coast, and the grapes ripen earlier. Varieties such as the tricky Pinot Noir are usually picked first, commonly for sparkling wine production, where high acid levels are needed.

The South Africans are excited about the 2012 vintage quality, the size of the harvest is expected to be similar to last year, weather conditions have been mild to cool since spring, with some warmer weather in January, ensuring lovely ripe grapes. It will be a while yet but we’re looking forward to seeing what our spirited, creative and probably very tired winemakers are conjuring up.