You won’t find a farmer in the Western Cape who won’t say it’s been a challenging season for the wine industry. But, Charles Hopkins, Cellar Master at De Grendel says, this may result in some of the most interesting wines to come out of the estate for years.

‘When we look back in three or four years’ time, people will remember the intensity of weather conditions, but say it was a great year for red wines,’ says Hopkins. ‘The heat doesn’t affect the reds as much as white grapes. The lower rainfall led to smaller berries, but small, thick-skinned berries are what you actually want. The smaller the berry, the better the colour. The De Grendel Shiraz 2016 is looking great, as are the Merlot and Pinotage.’

The January heatwave and low rainfall have inevitably had a profound affect with Hopkins estimating the whole industry will be down between 10 and 20%. Fortunately, De Grendel has water on the farm, but the heat was still challenging.

‘You hope for a cool, moderate hanging or ripening time in January, but this year we experienced temperatures between 33 and 40 degrees on the farm every day,’ says Hopkins. The hot and dry conditions lead to a drop in the acids, he says. ‘All wineries, including De Grendel, will have had to buffer their pH this season to ensure the wine stays fresh and crisp and there’s enough balance and longevity.’