Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Drought: A burning issue for wine

Published: 14 May, 2023

With another scorching summer on the horizon, James Bayley assesses the damage caused by drought to affected regions across the globe.

Severe drought and extreme heat pose a new threat to wine production

Published: 01 November, 2022

In 2022, global wine production volume is expected to be at a level similar to the one observed last year, despite higher average temperatures across the world.

Early harvest in Roussillon after July heatwave

Published: 30 August, 2022

Roussillon is the latest French wine-growing region to announce an early 2022 harvest due to soaring temperatures.

Record-breaking early harvest for Spain

Published: 18 August, 2022

Spain has recorded some of its earliest ever harvests this year, with many parts of the country bringing picking forward in order to mitigate a barrage of wildfires, widespread drought and “constant heat”.

Australian wine sales exceed supply for third year

Published: 30 March, 2021

Australian wine sales during 2019 to 2020 exceeded supply for the third year in a row impacted by drought conditions and bushfires in some regions of the country.

WoSA expects ‘exceptional’ vintage despite coronavirus

Published: 03 April, 2020

Wines of South Africa (WoSA) has announced it expects the country’s 2020 wine grape crop to yield “exceptional wines”.

Repositioning South Africa

Published: 28 August, 2018

Celebrated by critics but crippled by drought and low returns, South Africa rarely has an easy ride.

Few in the trade could have missed the ongoing challenges facing South Africa’s wine producers as the worst drought in 100 years continues to afflict the Cape. With the 2018 crop predicted to be down by 15% after two years of water shortage that almost saw Cape Town meet “day zero” and turn off its domestic supply, the harvest has been described by Bibendum’s South Africa buyer, Paul Meihuizen, as “the most challenging I have ever known”.

South Africa 2018 harvest “most challenging” in living memory

Published: 31 July, 2018

Serious drought in the Western Cape affected both natural supplies of water and government allocations ahead of this year’s harvest.

VinPro reports 15% smaller harvest

Published: 09 May, 2018

VinPro has reported a 15% smaller harvest (1 220 920 tonnes) across South Africa compared to 2017 – one of the smallest crops in more than a decade.

Distell defies challenging season with promising harvest

Published: 02 May, 2018

Distell has reported a ‘promising quality’ harvest despite experiencing one of the most challenging seasons in recent years.

All dry on the Western Cape

Published: 16 February, 2018

As Cape Town’s water crisis approaches Day Zero rationing, James Lawrence assesses the impact of the drought on the wine industry

Tim Atkin MW: Day Zero looms for South Africa

Published: 09 February, 2018

“Day Zero” sounds like the title of a dystopian disaster movie, starring Matt Damon or an ageing Bruce Willis perhaps. But what’s happening in South Africa right now has nothing to do with fantasy or fiction. On the contrary, it’s all too real. If you’ve not been reading the news from Cape Town recently, the city is about to run out of water. On January 18, the city’s mayor, Patricia de Lille, said that the “point of no return” had been reached and that, if things continue as they are with little or no rainfall, by April 12 (Day Zero), the taps will be turned off.

South Africa braces itself for difficult growing season

Published: 26 October, 2017

South Africa's vignerons are bracing themselves for a potentially difficult growing season, as the Western Cape continues to suffer from a chronic drought.