2017 Marks the 30th Harvest at Glen Carlou

As this is penned Glen Carlou is approximately 70% of the way through the 2017 harvest. We are often asked “How is harvest going?”, and my response has been, “The Viticultrualist and the Winemaker are both smiling and happy, so I think it looks pretty good.” Besides visual observations, all reports from Glen Carlou’s Viticulturalist, Marius and Winemaker Johnnie Calitz are that “2017 is shaping up to be a very special year; we just wish we didn’t have to wait so long for you to taste the wines.”

It is not just the stunning fruit coming into the cellar which makes it special, Harvest 2017 also marks our 30th harvest at Glen Carlou. 30 years ago, the founder of Glen Carlou, Walter Finlayson pressed his first Chardonnay. This wine was famously fermented in barrels which were stored in an old shipping container with a refrigeration unit attached.

Much has changed in the 30 years, except for our wine styles. The Chardonnay is made in a similar way to how Walter made his, except for a minor change on the oaking regime of our Classic Chardonnay where we no longer use American oak.

To commemorate our 30 years in the South African wine industry we will be holding a number of events around the country throughout the course of the year. We will keep you posted when they will be in your region.