Vinpro Technical Harvest Report 2026

Monthly rainfall (Sep 2025–Jan 2026)

20

15

10

5

Monthly rainfall (mm)

0

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Figure BK 2. Rainfall from September 2025 to January 2026, as measured at the Bothasguns weather station.

Daily rainfall and relative humidity (4–11 Feb 2026)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 04-Feb-26 05-Feb-26 06-Feb-26 07-Feb-26 08-Feb-26 09-Feb-26 10-Feb-26 11-Feb-26

35

30

25

20

15

10

Mean relative humidity (%)

Daily rainfall (mm)

5

0

Rainfall (mm)

Mean relative humidity (%)

Figure BK 3. Rainfall and humidity from 4 February 2026 to 11 February 2026, as measured at the Blaarfontein weather station.

humidity in February led to increased disease pressure in Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc (Figure BK 3) . Infections were recorded in some red cultivars, although the impact on red grapes was generally less pronounced. Lower rainfall resulted in moderate growth and reduced weed pressure, but also smaller berry size. Heatwave conditions in March, with extremely high maximum temperatures, promoted sugar accumulation, in some cases mostly through dehydration. This led to production losses and quality challenges in vineyards already under water stress, while in others it promoted full ripeness and high quality.

Photo BK1. Well-branched inflorescences with promising yield potential already evident early in the season in Chenin Blanc.

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