Indian Summer and Vineyard Challenges

Unlike here, where temperatures are continuously rising and storms are frequent, it has recently become distinctly cooler at the Cape. It's truly autumn now, and by 6 PM, the day is over, just like October here. Time to head home.

Before we set off on our way back to Munich on Monday, we enjoyed one last trip to the Winelands this weekend. The light and atmosphere during this time of year is exceptionally brilliant, and the red hues of many vineyards strongly resemble the breathtaking foliage of Indian Summer in parts of North America. However, unlike there, this coloration in the vineyards is not merely the natural autumn coloring of the leaves, but rather a symptom of a feared and prevalent viral disease transmitted by aphids.

The “Grape Leafroll Disease,” known in German as “Blattrollkrankheit,” is unfortunately widespread at the Cape, but it's also not uncommon in Europe. In the image, you can see a healthy vineyard at Thelema and another that is entirely infected with the disease (the leaves spectacularly turn red). Both images were taken last Friday, showcasing the stark contrast.

Visible symptoms primarily include leaf discoloration and curling. Additional consequences remain hidden from the unsuspecting observer. Affected vines often require more irrigation, produce fewer and smaller berries and clusters, and there’s a ripening delay, especially in red varieties. In wine production, this leads to a changed ratio of juice to skins as well as lower yields per hectare. The productivity of the vineyard decreases by about 20%, and in individual cases even more.

There is no cure, and from what we've heard, the only thing a winemaker can do to combat this is to promptly remove infested vines to help curb the spread.

In summary, it is much like life. Often, appearances can be deceiving, and not everything that glitters is gold.

Lastly, a note that, unlike usual, there is often no connection between our topic and the wines available. This time, we have put together the wines somewhat randomly for you, in the hopes that some might catch your attention.

With that, we wish you a wonderful remainder of the week and look forward to seeing you cheerfully in the shop.

(Offers valid until May 25, 2022)