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Despite the Orange River Wine Cellars having to contend with an expected decrease in its grape harvest from an average 160 000 tons to 120 000, the wine giant will still produce 35m litres of wine in 2011. This is 7m litres less than the wine produced during the exceptionally good 2010 harvest.
According to Herman Cruywagen, general manager of Orange River Wine Cellars based in Upington, the flooding caused extensive and enormous damage to the region’s vineyards.
“The images of the flooding seen on television and in the media did not come close to showing the full impact of the devastation,” said Cruywagen. “Out of our 900 members’ 17 000 hectares of vineyards in the areas of Groblershoop, Grootdrink, Keimoes and Upington, more then 800ha were totally flooded, with further damage to 1 500ha. Besides this damage and loss of grapes and vines, harvesting logistics were disrupted at Orange River’s five wineries as the flooding of roads and bridges prevented farmers getting their grapes to the cellars.”
Cruywagen said the farmers’ loss of income, the lost jobs seasonal workers had to endure and the decreased crop has hit the Orange River wine region hard, as well as the local fruit industry where the production of raisins and sultanas is a major contributor to the economy.
“We are currently still busy counting the total cost of the flooding,” he said. “Besides the crop losses, farmers experienced damage to their infrastructure when the river broke through barrages destroying pumps, cement canals and irrigation equipment.”
Orange River Wine Cellars is, however, still on track to produce 35m of wine this year for its clients who buy in bulk, as well as for its popular Orange River Cellars range which was recently launched in the retail sector and is proving to be enormously popular for its quality-to-price ratio.
Koos Visser, Orange River Wine Cellars marketing manager, said the staff at the five wineries did extraordinary work in producing excellent quality wines under trying conditions.
“A large part of our total crop is used for the production of grape concentrate, juice and distilling wine,” said Visser.
“Orange River Wine Cellars received sufficient grapes at the quality standard required to make quality wine for our clients and for our own brands.
“An added bonus is that the quality of the wines, including Chenin Blanc, Colombard, Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, are showing superb balance in their youthful state. There is a good balance between acids and pH, as well as the characteristic expression of upfront fruit – a trademark of the Orange River.”
Visser said all credit must go to Orange River Wine Cellars member-farmers who faced massive obstacles in getting their grapes to the cellars on-time, the viticulturalists who had to meticulously plan revised harvest schedules and the winemakers’ ability to apply crisis management during near catastrophic conditions.
“Orange River Wine Cellars is shifting its focus towards the production of fine, finished wine,” he said.
“Our new packaging for the retail sector, which was launced last year, is busy making inroads in the marketplace – in South Africa as well as in export markets such as China and America. We are therefore blessed to have survived this year’s devastating floods and that we can stake our claim in the market. The consumer will remember our 2011 harvest for its quality, although those involved with the growing of the grapes and the making of the wine will remember this year for other reasons.” | 
