Vineyards escape worst of fires

Recent fires in February and early
March have razed forest land and
Fynbos with 95% of the pine timber
plantations at Lourensford, an area
of 1000 hectares, burnt to a fine
white ash.
According to Wines of SA, they
had already harvested their whites
and some of their reds and the fire
scorched only a few rows at the edge
of their vineyards.
“Lourensford is testing samples
on an ongoing basis to ensure there
is no taint,” a Wosa spokesman
said. “Lourensford's sister farm in
Stellenbosch, Lanzerac, also had
some scorch damage on the outer
reaches of the mountainside, but
luckily these blocks had already
been harvested.”
The wineries that have been
affected are all premium wineries
with a commitment to maintaining
quality. “While some of the later
bottlings may be downgraded or not
released, they are all grateful that
there has been limited damage, and
most important of all, no loss of life.”