Vinpro Technical Harvest Report 2025

Climatic and viticultural trends

previous year. Night temperatures in December were also cooler than the previous season. The total number of days from December to March with temperatures above 35 °C was approximately half that of the previous season. The harvest season itself was very dry, with no significant rainfall (Figure STB 1) . General remarks damage, effective preventative spray programmes successfully preserved the vineyards amid high disease pressure and vigorous growing conditions. Ample follow-up rains throughout the growing season ensured that dam levels were maintained or had slightly improved, and groundwater levels were better than the previous season. Vineyard canopies remained balanced and healthy, with optimal growing conditions evident in the vigorous growth observed in low-vigour cultivars, such as Petit Verdot (Photo STB 1) . Temperate weather conditions were disrupted by extreme heat peaks on 25 and 26 December, resulting in sunburn damage across many vineyards. Those most affected were The season was characterised by overall good vineyard health. Although rainfall during flowering resulted in limited downy mildew

During the post-harvest period of the 2024 season, autumn was dry, windy and warm, leading to early leaf fall by early April. The above-average

warm weather persisted into June, with normal winter temperatures only occurring towards the end of the month. As a result, cold unit accumulation was delayed by approximately 20 days compared to the previous season. However, what will stand out about this winter is the record-high rainfall in July. A cooler August and moderate temperatures in September led to later bud burst than in the previous season. Conditions during flowering were favourable, with less extreme wind compared to the previous season. However, strong winds were recorded from mid-October to mid November, which, in some cases, led to poorer fruit set. Following the heavy winter rains, the Stellenbosch region received good follow-up rains in October, November, and December, resulting in more vigorous growth and good production. This was particularly noticeable on the slopes of the Simonsberg and Stellenbosch Mountains, where heavy rainfall was recorded towards the end of October. During the summer months, January stood out with maximum temperatures up to 3 °C cooler than the

Monthly effective rainfall: May 2023 to March 2025 (Stellenbosch)

250

200

150

100

50

Effective rainfaill (>7 mm)

0

Jan Feb Mar

Apr

May Jun Jul

Aug Sep Oct

Nov Dec

2023 2024 2025

Figure STB 1: Monthly effective rainfall (>7 mm) for Stellenbosch (Skilpadvlei) over the past two seasons (2023–2024 and 2024–2025).

VINPRO TECHNICAL HARVEST REPORT 2025 48