What can I say? The 2022 harvest was undoubtedly an exciting affair, constantly keeping us on our toes. And we are keeping up the pace as we take in our final grapes for 2022 over the next two weeks. To round up the harvest, this bounty will include Mourvèdre grapes from Darling and Grenache and Shiraz from the Breedekloof.

No harvest is ever the same, and one always look back to reminisce the learnings as harvest nears the end. So, what can I take from 2022? I must admit it was a very interesting harvest due to size versus quality. In my opinion, it can easily rank as one of the smallest Stellenbosch harvests in history, especially on Croydon Vineyard Estate. Although we had a very wet year (and we are always grateful for every drop of rain we receive), we also had a very cold spring.

One expects the soil to warm up during springtime, facilitating vine production after the winter and coaxing the vine into its growing cycle. But, alas, the cold spring, as mentioned, inhibited this process which most certainly added to smaller yields.

October and November brought a huge gust of wind during flowering, blowing many of these delicate flowers off. Naturally, this also impacted the number of grapes produced by the vines. In short, this sums up my thoughts as to why we see a smaller crop than in previous years. As the older generation would say, “that’s farming for you, son.”

Everybody talks about harvest and what happens afterwards in the cellar. However, once all the grapes are in and fermentation is completed, it is time for a crucial part of the process: maturation. All our red wines will undergo a second fermentation called malolactic fermentation (also referred to as malolactic conversion). This process converts malic acid to lactic acid. Malic acid has a much harder, tart taste (imagine green Granny Smith apples), and the conversion adds a softer, richer flavour that also reflects in the body of a wine.

Once this process is completed, we will store the wines away in vessels of choice (including barrels, cement tanks, amphoras, flex tanks and stainless-steel tanks – depending on the style of wine we want to create) until the wines are ready to be blended or bottled.

I have to round up my musings by telling you about my latest Bizoe in Cape Town excursion. I had the opportunity to visit one of the city’s newest restaurants called One Park and paired our Bizoe Wines with selected items on their menu. One Park is situated in Park Road, Gardens, and will soon be known as a firm favourite among food and wine lovers. So, cheers to an incredible new restaurant and the fantastic people involved – especially following a challenging time for this industry. So please do yourself a favour and visit them. I, for one, will diarize a second visit as soon as the next two weeks of harvest is wrapped up!

So much is happening in the world at the moment. War in the Ukraine, passing of one my childhood hero’s Shane Warne and now Alain Graillot.

Growing up as kid we loved it when Hansie Cronje was bashing Shane Warne around on the pitch. Remembering spending a day at Wanderers Cricket Ground in Johannesburg when Hansie Cronje introduced the “slog sweep” against Shane Warne. As kids we were dreaming of the day when we can put on the Proteas shirt and play against the Aussies.

How do they fit in with Alaine Grailllot in this post. Alaine Grailot, the winemaker that has changed the Northen Rhone Valley France, producing excellent wines. In South Africa we are lucky enough that some of his wines are imported by Radford Dale. Allain Grailot passed away the same week as Shane Warne from a stroke. A week before a late night I had a friend over in my little cellar at home Steed Richardson drinking a 2018 Crozes Hermitage from Allaine Graillot.

There’s got to be a reason why I am mentioning Steed in this post. I wouldn’t classify Steed as “wine connoisseur”. Reaching for the bottle in the cellar he couldn’t see what I was opening, poured the glass and old Steeds words, “Je wish Ricky this is cracking”. As Shane Warne was a childhood hero, Alain Graillot is a wine hero. We spend money to buy wines like this to sharpen our pallets and to able to try and make great wines like the late Alain Graillot. Remember well the day before making the Bizoe Genant 2020 blend, I also enjoyed a bottle from Alain Graillot to sharpen my pallet.

Harvest time in South Africa is known as “pars tyd” renamed by some winemakers as “bars tyd”-translated as time of the year when you hardly see your family and spent 24 hours in the cellar. To our family, harvest is the sweet, much-anticipated time in our year.

Kids running around the cellar, drinking grape juice. Helping to punch down grapes. Time we embrace and always have fun in the cellar. The joy of seeing kids returning from school and running down to the cellar to be part of harvest 2022, it’s a feeling that can’t be explained.

Update on harvest so far. Quality and analysis of grapes are looking great in tank. The one statement I can make is, in our case the harvest is extremely small and it might have an impact on wine prices later in the year. As I write this blog post we will be finishing our last white grapes at the end of the week. Semillon grapes, from Franschhoek, will be our last white grapes for 2022.

Do low yield influence the quality of the grapes. Theory is that with fewer grapes the vine can use all its energy to give more concentrated grapes and better quality for wine making. It makes completely sense thinking about it, but is it practical. Remember our Prof Gousard at The University of Stellenbosch preaching us about balance. The vine has to be in balance to produce the best quality fruit. I am very excited what harvest 22 will give us.

We have introduced the Rikus Neethling Wine range to you a few months ago. Currently only available in packed deals on our website. We will soon be launching its own web shop where you can purchase the wines. Making this note in the blog to inform you about a new wine in the range – Rikus Neethling Wines Viognier 2021. You will notice new vintages available from our online store from 1 March 2022.

2 Feb 1659 Jan van Riebeek harvest the first grapes in South Africa, paving the way for me to be part of this industry 363 years later. Wow an industry that is still driven by the passion of people and this wonderful end product we call wine.

The few words I can think off, is privilege and honored, to be part of the South African Wines Industry. Stand out for me is the people involve, older generation passing information down to the younger generation. It has never felt like a competition for me. All genuinely wants the South African Wines to succeed.

Harvest has started in the Western Cape and we have received Chardonnay. Since my last post about my predictions about harvest has changed a bit. Struck with massive heat waves in the Western Cape the last two weeks and had to adapt some of our plans.

Here on Croydon Vineyards, where we also make our Bizoe Wines we have already harvested all the Pinotage grapes on Croydon. The condition of the grapes looked awesome especially after the extremely high temperature we had the last few days. The Pinotage grapes will be used for the Croydon Title Deed Rose and Croydon Covenant Pinotage.

Our next grapes to arrive at the cellar will be Sauvignon blanc and Chenin blanc from Stellenbosch, and Semillon from Darling for the Bizoe Morningstar Semillon. Enough about harvest for now let’s toast this amazing industry.

We all are awaiting for the harvest 22 to start. Just to start the year, we are already 2 weeks later than the start of 2021. Is it a good thing? Only time will tell.

What is the possible reasons for the late start? During the growing season from September 2021 until a week ago, we had relative constant rain and mild temperatures during the season. In simple terms the soil needs to heat up to activate the growth in the vine. This year it occurred at a slower pace due to the rain and mild temperatures that lead to the delay in harvest. An old saying the longer the fruit hang on the vine the better the quality. Will this be tested in 2022 harvest?

We all thought we are cruising into the 2022 harvest and then January gives us the heat and high temperatures. The sudden heat wave we are experiencing in the Western Cape at the moment, is ripening the early cultivars and speeding up the late cultivars and my prediction is that we are going to have a harvest that everything will be ripe at the same time. Winemaker’s nightmare, having enough space in the cellar.

At least we are predicting it and can start planning for it. There is also the possibility that it might not happen. One of the fun things about farming no year, no vintage is ever the same. From our side we are ready to receive the grapes and just can’t wait for the fun to start.

We will kick the harvest of by harvesting our Semillon grapes from Darling, followed by the Semillon from Franschhoek. New editions this year will be some Grenache grapes from Breedekloof that we are excited about getting into the cellar. Follow our Facebook pages, we will keep you updated on our harvest 22!

Didn’t we all say we can’t wait for 2021 after 2020, now we are in 2022. Happy New Year to you all, may 2022 be the year we all remember for good stuff and return to normal life again.

On that note we are back in the cellar. We bottled the Bizoe Idioglossia Chardonnay 2021 and Bizoe Genant 2020. Chardonnay for the 2021 vintage are 90% grapes from Elgin Valley fermented in a Amphora pot, blended with 10% Chardonnay grapes from Stellenbosch aged in oak barrels. The wine to be available at the end of February 2022.

The second release of the Bizoe Genant SGM 2020 will have more Grenache and Mourvèdre in the 2020 blend. The Bizoe Genant 2020 will consist of  Shiraz 52% Grenache 33% and Mourvèdre 15%. Available from April 2022.

Second week of December I was joined by Bernard Dewey from Chamonix Wine Farm in Franschhoek in the Garden Route presenting wines at Viswijf Restaurant in Jeffreys Bay. What a great place and setting, food amazing, owners is amazing and passionate about food and wine. A must visit!

St Francis wine and dine with the major of the town and owner of biggest engine in St Francis, Clive of Clive’s Chokka Block Restaurant. Being around Clive is fun, old school chef and believe you can’t leave his restaurant not being fed. A must visit when in St Francis.

Last stop on our trip was Bay Leaf Café in George. Danielle owner of Bayleaf, our paths crossed first time at his restaurants in Johannesburg called Buonissimo in Modderfontein. 2021 is the first year that we ventured into the Garden Route with our wines. It is a pleasant surprise and is always looking forward spending time on the Garden Route.

When in George there will always be time to sit down and have chat with my friend Wern van der Watt, owner of Nina’s Cafe. Luckily they have celebrated their 5th birthday that week. Congrats Wern and Tash we are looking forward dining at Nina’s for the next 5 years and future!

Bizoe Wines participated in the inaugural Greyton Wine Weekend. Wineries stationed in different venues across Greyton. Wine sippers walking around the beautiful town sipping away on wine for a good cause.

Amazing seeing such a small community pulling together and delivering a fund raising event with so much passion. Greyton House Independent School raising funds to give bursaries for kids of Greyton that’s in need. Approximately 25 wineries spend the weekend in Greyton pouring wine for locals and weekend goers in Greyton. Enough money raised during the weekend to help 37 kids next year.

Bizoe Wines stationed on Werner Smith Art Gallery “stoep”. Werner’s Art Gallery is situated in Ds Botha Str. After meeting Werner at the gallery a few weeks prior to the Greyton Wine Weekend. Werner and I exchanged text messages. Little did we know that we both grew up in the same street, Nagel Str, Benoni. Lost contact when they moved to Pretoria, but reunited on a stoep in Greyton. Small world! When in Greyton make sure to pop in at Werner Smith Gallery.

Bizoe Morningstar Semillon 2019 was one the favourite during the weekend. Lovely weather helped sippers looking for some shade. At our venue was perfectly situated and we made use of the lovely couch. Once you sit, difficult to get up. Made sure their glass stay full with some cold wine.

Back to the weekend, activities around town was magnificent. Organizers made sure kids is entertained while adults stroll the streets of this beautiful town sipping on wine. On the Friday night winemakers was entertained at Hub and Spoke by the Greyton Wine Weekend organizers. Always fun sharing a glass of wine with your fellow winemakers.

 Thanks Team Greyton it was fun and looking forward to Greyton Wine Weekend 2022!