Impact of Cape forest fires on vineyards assessed

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Angela Lloyd reports on the impact of the forest fires that swept through the Southern Peninsula some weeks back, threatening – and in a few cases causing damage to – numerous South African vineyards. In her post she interviews winemakers of the region, who recount the devastating events.

Duncan Savage of Cape Point Vineyards estimates that 5%-10% of the vines were scorched but whether they’ve survived will only be known next season. ‘They’re tough little buggers,’ he says. ‘Even the fynbos kloof in the middle of the farm burnt but some of the vines survived!’ The bulk of the harvest had already been brought in, though 25 tons of Sauvignon, Semillon and Chardonnay were still hanging.

Klein Constantia, meanwhile, has also lost some vines – with 50 burned altogether, and between 1,000 and 2,000 scorched. Matt Day, however, remains confident those will recover.

See more at  Wines of South Africa .

[Category: Blog, Cape Point Vineyards, forest fires cape town, klein constantia, wine farms southern peninsula cape town]


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