South Africans are struggling with crippling power cuts on a daily basis, which are imposing huge costs on businesses. As the country’s grape harvest gets underway, there are fears about the impact on the wine industry.
The rumble of tractors, the churning of the wine press, and occasional bouts of laughter from the farm workers provide the soundtrack to the busiest time of the year for the Groote Post vineyard.
Everyone is active as the picking and processing of the grapes begins at this winery in the picturesque town of Darling, less than 80km (50 miles) from Cape Town, in the west of the country.
Bunches of dark pinot noir grapes lie in wooden pallets stacked next to the wine press. A forklift truck tips a pallet into the press, releasing a sweet odor into the air. I taste a grape, which is smaller than the supermarket varieties, and much sweeter and full of robust flavor.
“In 16 months from now, these grapes will be in your glass and you’ll be sipping on some lovely bubbly,” Peter Pentz, Groote Post communications manager says.
And while that may be true, the winemaker will be having a harder time getting it onto tables in South Africa.
The difficulty for every firm in the industry is that this crucial time of year coincides with the worst rolling power blackouts the country has ever experienced.
Not a day has gone by in 2023 without the electricity from the state-run power company Eskom going down. The interrupted power supply is having a big effect on those hoping to make wine.
“As soon as the power cuts, it means that [without a generator] none of the operations can continue within the cellar,” Mr. Pentz tells the BBC.
“No labeling can continue, no bottling and [no] cooling. Especially in the harvesting season, it’s vital for us to get the fermentation process started.”
Read More… BBC News
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