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I don’t know about you, but my wine reserves ran out a couple of weeks back and I’m not loving the lockdown without it.

Still, some would argue that it’s for the best and we just have to wait until we can stock up again.

To ease the burden a little, it might interest you to know that once you can sit back with a fine glass of the good stuff again, it’s likely to be one of the best glasses of wine you’ve ever tasted.

The Drinks Business reckons that winemakers in South Africa are “gearing up for an “exceptional” 2020 vintage”, despite the challenges presented by the coronavirus:

The harvest will be smaller than the five-year average of 1.36 million tonnes, but is predicted to be larger than the 2019 harvest, which was impacted by drought.

Windy growing and ripening periods in certain regions resulted in smaller berries, which will lead to a good concentration of both colour and flavour, and wines of “exceptional quality”, according to Conrad Schutte of Vinpro.

In eight of the 10 wine regions in the country, harvest is still underway thanks to a last-minute concession from the National Command Council that “harvesting and storage activities essential to prevent the wastage of primary agricultural goods” would be allowed during lockdown.

This is an about-turn from the initial regulations that prohibited all wine industry activities, including the production, distribution, and sale of any and all alcohol.

“We have a full grasp of the severity of the global Covid-19 pandemic and support President Cyril Ramaphosa on his decision to take extreme measures to ensure the nation’s safety,” said Vinpro’s managing director, Rico Basson.

“However, the ban on exports and capacity constraints at our main ports will have a significant effect on the survival of the South African wine industry, and the livelihood of the 300,000 people employed by the value-chain,” he added.

South Africa is the ninth biggest wine producer in the world, contributing roughly R36 billion to the country’s gross domestic product.

I can’t wait to contribute to the industry with an order of Anthonij Rupert Wyne as soon as this ban lifts.

Hello there, my long-lost friends:

In the interim, like the rest of the country, I’ll be dreaming about that first sip of the Optima, or a crisp chardonnay.

Schutte told Engineering News that the industry is looking forward to this year’s batch.

“We are excited about the exceptional wines that will flow from the 2020 wine grape crop, with Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay leading the pack. The early cultivars showed very good acidity, and the colour and tannin analyses in the red wines promise full wines with concentrated flavour profiles,” says Schutte.

Our Winelands here in the Cape were already racking up glowing reviews, before this harvest. Hopefully, they’ll continue to do so once the aficionados get a taste of the next batch.

Hang in there, fellow wine lovers.

Good things come to those who wait.

[sources:drinksbusiness&engineeringnews]