Vinpro Technical Harvest Report 2026

General remarks

In vineyards where topping or leaf removal was applied too late or too severely, grapes were excessively exposed to sunlight. While sunburn occurred in the previous year, damage was limited this season, as grapes had adapted to early exposure to heat and radiation. Following extremely warm conditions in November and December, average maximum temperatures in January and February were slightly lower. Nights in January were noticeably cooler, providing relief for vineyards under water stress. Nevertheless, the elevated rate of development and ripening persisted, and consequently, véraison occurred significantly earlier and progressed more rapidly due to the high level of accumulated temperatures throughout the season. The harvest period commenced seven to ten days earlier, with grapes for sparkling wine harvested much earlier. The remainder of the early cultivars followed shortly thereafter. In contrast, Pinotage, which produced larger crops, overlapped with mid-season cultivars due to a wider harvest window than normal. Following the high temperatures in mid February (Figure PA 1) , all cultivars reached ripeness simultaneously. The harvest pace accelerated significantly after an intense heatwave in March, placing considerable pressure on cellars to receive the remaining grapes timeously.

Due to the extremely warm and dry conditions throughout the season, disease pressure was low. Early water stress resulted in the earlier expression

Production trends A compact 2026 harvest saw some cellars complete operations up to 14 days earlier than normal. Late cultivars such as Cabernet Sauvignon produced lighter crops, having developed during the warm and dry period of the season. Pinotage and early white cultivars, particularly Chardonnay and early Chenin Blanc, delivered significantly larger crops than in 2025, and consequently, total production was slightly higher than the previous year. of leafroll virus symptoms, particularly in blocks with limited water resources following the previous post-harvest period. Sustained warm conditions, with unusually high temperatures from mid-February to mid-March, accelerated ripening and resulted in a short, compact harvest period. This placed pressure on cellars to receive grapes timeously in order to create fermentation capacity.

Daily minimum and maximum temperatures (1 Feb 2026–15 Mar 2026)

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Figure PA 1. Minimum and maximum temperatures in Wellington from 1 February to 15 March 2026.

VINPRO TECHNICAL HARVEST REPORT 2026 40