A general view of Durbanville' hills wineyard's cellar taken 23 March 2006, while the annual harvest is taking place all over the South African Western Cape winelands, starting from the begenning of February until the end of April. Currently 110 200 hectares of vines producing wine grapes are under cultivation in South Africa over an area some 800 kilometres in length. However, of these 11 595 hectares are under sultanas, used only for distilling wine for brandy. White varietals constitute 55% of the plantings for wine, with Chenin Blanc plantings comprising 20% of the total. Red varietals account for 45% of the national vineyard. The most widely planted red varietal is Cabernet Sauvignon, accounting for 15% of the total. Shiraz now accounts for 9%, while Pinotage, which is indigenous to South Africa , and Merlot each represent 7%. About 348 500 people are employed both directly and indirectly in the wine industry, including farm labourers, those involved in packaging, retailing and wine tourism. Wine tourism employs some 48 350 of these people. According to a study, commissioned by the SA Wine Industry Information & Systems (SAWIS), a body supplying data to the local wine industry, and published in 2000 but based on 1999 figures, the wine industry contributes 9,7% to the Western Cape's gross geographic product. The study also concluded that of the R14,6 billion contributed by the wine industry to the regional economy, some R3,5 billion was generated indirectly through wine-tourism activities centred in the winelands. In terms of world wine production, South Africa ranks as number nine in volume production of wine and produces 3,1% of the world's wine.
A South African worker from Maastricht farm, on the Durbanville hills, a few kms outside Cape Town, carries, 23 March 2006, an empty bucket during the annual harvest. Currently 110 200 hectares of vines producing wine grapes are under cultivation in South Africa over an area some 800 kilometres in length. However, of these 11 595 hectares are under sultanas, used only for distilling wine for brandy. White varietals constitute 55% of the plantings for wine, with Chenin Blanc plantings comprising 20% of the total. Red varietals account for 45% of the national vineyard. The most widely planted red varietal is Cabernet Sauvignon, accounting for 15% of the total. Shiraz now accounts for 9%, while Pinotage, which is indigenous to South Africa , and Merlot each represent 7%. About 348 500 people are employed both directly and indirectly in the wine industry, including farm labourers, those involved in packaging, retailing and wine tourism. Wine tourism employs some 48 350 of these people. According to a study, commissioned by the SA Wine Industry Information & Systems (SAWIS), a body supplying data to the local wine industry, and published in 2000 but based on 1999 figures, the wine industry contributes 9,7% to the Western Cape's gross geographic product. The study also concluded that of the R14,6 billion contributed by the wine industry to the regional economy, some R3,5 billion was generated indirectly through wine-tourism activities centred in the winelands. In terms of world wine production, South Africa ranks as number nine in volume production of wine and produces 3,1% of the world's wine.
This undated publicity product photo provided by courtesy of Covenant Wines shows a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from Covenant Wines vineyard in Napa Valley, Calif.
Bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon in protective steel cages, left, are ready to be loaded onto a boat in Charleston, S.C., on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013. Mira Winery of St. Helena, California, submerged four cases of wine in Charleston Harbor on Wednesday to see what effect the ocean has on aging the wine. Similar experiments with ocean aging have been conducted in Europe.
In this photo taken Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012 vineyard manager Chris Pedemonte walks through a vineyard of Cabernet Sauvignon that was replanted this past spring at Round Pond Estate in Rutherford, Calif. Napa Valley, one of California's premier wine growing regions, has an uncommon problem these days: Not enough new grape root stock to go around. Commercial nurseries were caught short by a trifecta of developments: aging vines planted after a deadly phylloxera outbreak of the 80s, the demand created by an improving economy and move toward grape plantings that allow some mechanization.
In this photo taken Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012 is a vineyard that was grafted with Cabernet Sauvignon earlier this year at Trefethen Family Vineyards in Napa, Calif. Napa Valley, one of California's premier wine growing regions, has an uncommon problem these days: Not enough new grape root stock to go around. Commercial nurseries were caught short by a trifecta of developments: aging vines planted after a deadly phylloxera outbreak of the 80s, the demand created by an improving economy and move toward grape plantings that allow some mechanization.
