At 850 million litres, South Africa’s 2000 wine crop was 7% smaller than that of 1999, according to figures presented by South African Wine Industry Information and Systems (SAWIS). While yields were reduced by the hottest and driest weather in forty years, wines are reported to have more structure, colour and flavour than from recent seasons. A second dry, warm winter in a row caused uneven budding of grapevines, resulting near harvest in smaller berries and lighter bunches than usual. The growing season at Stellenbosch and Robertson, two of SA’s major wine regions, were around four degrees Celsius warmer than average. Similar to the vintage experienced in parts of the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, grape sugars ripened well ahead of flavours, and with very low acid levels.
