Written by: Hussein Ahmed

In one of the most famous wine-producing regions in South AfricaThe effects of climate change are gradually being felt in vineyards, amid growing fears that rising temperatures will change the nature of the country's wine industry in the coming years.

The Hemel-en-Arde region, located near Hermanus in the Western Cape province, is known for having one of the coldest climates in the region, making it an ideal environment for producing fine wines, especially Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which rely on moderate temperatures to maintain their flavor and quality.

Creation Wines farms enjoy a prestigious global reputation, often ranking among the top ten vineyard experiences in the world, according to the ranking of the top 50 global vineyards, which is based on the assessments of wine experts and specialized tourism.

Climate change threatens the wine industry in South Africa

Zach Sandy, a visitor to the farm, describes Pinot Noir as a wine that falls between red and white, noting its smoothness, ease of drinking, and ability to pair well with light dishes such as tuna sashimi or grilled tuna steaks.

But behind this calm picture, growing climate-related challenges are emerging. Swiss winemaker Jean-Claude Martin, who runs a farm specializing in cold-weather wines, confirms that climate change has become a major factor in producers' calculations.

Martin says the region is still relatively fortunate thanks to its proximity to the ocean, which acts as a balancing factor and mitigates climate change, adding that the stability of ocean temperature has so far helped to prevent drastic changes.

However, recent data from Stellenbosch University points to worrying indicators, as researcher Erna Blanquért confirmed that the last grape harvest season was the earliest in the history of the Western Cape.

She explained that the harvest, which traditionally started from mid-January until March, may shift to November by 2035, as a result of changes in the biological stages of grape growth due to rising temperatures.

Early harvesting has significant implications for the industry, including changes to agricultural labor schedules, as well as its impact on wine flavors and characteristics.

Faced with these challenges, wine producers have begun to adopt new technologies based on precision agriculture, through weather monitoring, soil analysis, and the selection of the best pruning and planting methods.

Gerhard Breuer, a grape-growing expert at Creation, says the farm has already started using weather data for advance planning, noting that this year's harvest came about a week to ten days earlier than last year.

He added that the farm resorted to planting cover crops to maintain soil moisture, in addition to adopting the modern Guio system for pruning grapes, which allows for better adaptation to climate fluctuations.

For her part, Emma Karkik, from the non-profit organization VINPRO, stressed that building resilient vineyards starts with accurately understanding the nature of the soil, climate and terrain, and choosing the appropriate crop varieties to ensure long-term production sustainability.

With global temperatures continuing to rise, winemakers in the Western Cape are racing against time to maintain the quality of their products, in a new battle being waged by the global wine industry against climate change.