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Harvest-2008 in the Southern Hemisphere: climate caprices
(fine)wines №5 summer 2008

While winemakers in Europe and North America surmise how the current vintage will go, their colleagues in the Southern Hemisphere have already picked the grapes and completed initial stages of vinification.

Due to natural conditions quality of harvest in these countries is usually viewed as more stable than in the northern part of the planet, but winemaking seasons there also have their particularities and often develop according to individual scenarios.

The past year was a very difficult one for the industry. Winemakers already called it “an awful vintage”. The weather was extreme. If in the north-east in Queensland rains were pouring down and rivers were overfilled, in South Australia the hottest period in the documented history was registered in the end of February. The year was one of the wettest in the past 30 years in the Hunter Valley, and the harvest of red grapes was practically destroyed. Despite cool February, Victoria was among the leading regions for early picking. In the Yarra Valley where the harvest usually arrives to wineries in April, over 70% of the crop of two major varieties (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) was gathered in the end of February. In general, the vintage in Australia was the earliest on record, and the picking was advanced by 3-6 weeks in comparison with traditional dates. The Australian Wine & Brandy Corporation estimates total harvest at 1,6 mln. tonnes.

Unlike their neighbours, New Zealand winemakers are happy with both quality and quantity of the vintage. Despite certain losses from frosts, the harvest is generous. The Association of New Zealand winegrowers estimates total volume as 225-245,000 tonnes, which is at least 10% more than the figures of the previous year. The volume of Sauvignon Blanc in Marlborough grew by around a quarter. The quality of Pinot Noir, country’s another signature grape, also gives reason for optimism. Winemakers of Central Otago announced that the harvest was the “most ideal” in the past 20 years. Thanks to a long and dry summer grapes achieved an excellent potential for aromas and flavours. This vintage was also among the earliest.

Rain in the end of the season was a great disappointment for winemakers who before had all conditions for a superb harvest. White and partially red grapes suffered from attacks of rot (mildew and botrytis), and the losses amounted up to 20%. A pre-requisite condition of making high quality wines this year was the use of sorting tables and strict harvest selection. In general, cool weather delayed picking in many wine areas. Despite the difficulties, observers evaluated total harvest as the largest in history — around 1,5 mln. tonnes.

This year the treat for the quality of grapes did not come from the nature, but from workers’ strikes during the harvesting. They demanded pay increases and better working conditions. The winegrowing season was average. Winter and spring were dry and cold, the end of summer and autumn were hot. The drought didn’t affect the quality. Thanks to artificial irrigation systems vines didn’t suffer from water stress. The harvest arrived to the wineries in good sanitary condition. Total production in 2008 was around 1,1 mln. tonnes, which is a slightly lower than the figures of the previous harvest.

Mendosa wine festival which usually takes place in the first Saturday of March and is dedicated to new harvest was dampened this year by a prolonged period of rain. It went intermittently from early January to the dates of picking. The double amount of rain in comparison to the average statistics was registered in Mendosa in two weeks starting from the middle of January. Total harvest was around 2,8 mln. tonnes which is close to the previous year. Winemakers say that the quality of white wines will be very good, and red Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec already show ripe tannins, good colour and flavours.