The Western Cape’s drought is on everyone’s lips – it becomes part of every conversation. It affects everyone, especially our farmers. Who wants to see livestock and wildlife suffer or plants and trees wilting? Simonsig’s Managing Director and viticulturist Francois Malan shares his heart:
“Imagine the worst drought in 123 years” they tell us. “Nobody alive today has experienced a situation like this before and with prospects of good rain still five months away (April 2018), we are in for a very tough time ahead – people, fauna and flora included.”
“The vineyards are still in prime condition, but harvest time is many months away. Will we be able to pull it through? ‘Don’t know’’, ‘it all depends’ and ‘difficult to say’ is the common answer. The professors cannot give you an answer either.”
“The berries are expected to be smaller and bunches lighter in weight, and we plan to irrigate at pea size berry stage or at veraison to get the best result for the little water we have.”
“Will there be a harvest? Yes. Will we have a crop? Yes. Will there be a 2018 vintage? Of course!”