While the drought in parts of the Western Cape had adversely affected crop production, it is expected that it would have little effect on this year’s brandy grape harvest.
According to a statement by Distell, Africa’s leading producer of spirits, all indications were that the 2017 brandy grape harvest would be of high quality, despite the Western Cape’s extreme drought conditions.
Brandy is made from high quality ‘base wine’. In South Africa, this base wine is mainly produced from Chenin Blanc and Colombar grapes that are harvested early in the season to achieve higher acidity and lower sugar levels. These grapes are grown in the warmer regions of the Western Cape and Northern Cape.
According to Mare-Loe Prinsloo, head of brandy and spirits excellence at Distell, rain in the brandy grape growing areas stopped earlier than usual during the previous season, but this was to the advantage of the grape varieties picked early, as water was available at a critical stage of growth, resulting in healthy grapes.
“[This] resulted in the grapes having a low pH and a high acidity [level] which is ideal for brandy. Yields per hectare were also better than those in the previous year.”
Prinsloo added that there had been a 25% increase in the volume of base wine distilled in 2017, compared with last year. “[This] is due to greater demand for these quality products as more South Africans realise that our home-grown brandies are of extremely high quality and can compete with French cognacs on taste and are more affordable.”
Distell was the International Wine and Spirit Competition’s World’s Best Brandy Producer for 2016.
