LAST week the Graham Beck Wines’ Franschhoek farm workers celebration followed the model mapped out by their colourful Robertson counterparts during their annual harvest parade.
Adorning themselves in vibrant attire and dazzling costumes, Graham Beck Wines’ workers chanted the mantra “2008, the grapes will be great”.
The harvest parade commenced with the first load of Chardonnay, destined for Cap Classique production, being ‘marched’ from the vineyard block to the Franschhoek Cellar to begin the process of base wine pressing and preparation.
This 2008 harvest commemorates the tenth anniversary of Graham Beck Wines’ Franschhoek Cellar, making it a double whammy for the farm, as they honour this milestone.
General consensus held that this past year presented a challenge in that there was much uncertainty about what this vintage would hold, due to the erratic meteorological conditions.
Graham Beck Wines’ viticulturist, Marco Ventrella, assuaged all fears with his optimistic take on how these climatic changes had “ironically been instrumental in the production of healthy vines and, by extension, delicious, full-flavoured, succulent grapes”.
“General trepidation”, went on Ventrella, “that the rainy conditions would perpetuate, was moot, as climatic conditions have improved and good, strong and steady winds have dried out the soil considerably, thereby countering the potentially adverse effect of the unseasonal summer rainfall.”
Ventrella is confident that the Sauvignon Blanc in particular is of a superior quality, as is the Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Shiraz is looking promising.
Ventrella joins the mantra and declares that unequivocally “2008, grapes are great”.
