Harvest time is here! After a dramatic weekend in the Franschhoek Valley, fighting veld fires, an earlier than usual start to the annual wine grape harvest brings a positive energy. The excitement is tangible at La Motte Wine Estate yesterday morning with the first 2026 Sauvignon Blanc being harvested.
“We’ve known since October that the harvest was going to be early”, says Cellarmaster Edmund Terblanche. “We are about two weeks earlier than usual, but the initial analyses are positive and I’m excited about the quality.”
The grapes reaching optimum ripeness earlier can also be attributed to the dry summer and high temperatures. According to Farm Manager, Jaco Visser, some of the Merlot in Paarl are already at 22.7 Degrees Balling and he expects the harvest to be quite a cascade into the cellar!
The La Motte Winemaking team is grateful for the blessing of another harvest and wishes their South African winemaking colleagues a successful 2026 season.
Get new press articles by email
Public relations, social media management, communication: food, wine, agriculture, awards functions & events.
Latest from
- Nuy introduces its first drink in a can - a mimosa for any time of day
- Introducing a new culinary team for Leopard's Leap
- Paella with Prawns, Hake, Yoghurt and Fresh Basil recipe
- Mos is more than mosbolletjies
- New art exhibition, Van Horison tot Horison, opens at La Motte
- StartWell Foundation & Cereal Cyclists take on childhood stunting at Cape Town Cycle Tour
- La Motte special Easter Classical Music Concert 28 March 2026
- Love and legacy, poured - Nuy releases Toekie ‘My Hartedief’ Red Muscadel 2025
- AmberMacs Expo shows the way forward
- Peeling back the Petals, a Focus on Flowers in Art
- Harvest time tastes and traditions celebrated at La Motte
- 2026 Dates La Motte Milling & Bread Baking Experience
- La Motte Classical Music Concert 17 January
- Always Breaking Bread at La Motte on 29 December 2025
- The flair and joy of festive gift giving at La Motte
The Pulse Latest Articles
- Influencers Share Their Favourite Holiday Games (March 26, 2026)
- Procurement Can Buy Pr. It Cannot Buy Judgement. (March 25, 2026)
- Cape Town Fintech Happy Pay Raises $5m To Reinvent Bnpl In South Africa (March 23, 2026)
- Why Hr Dashboards Are Now A Compliance Imperative — Not A “nice To Have” (March 20, 2026)
- The Truck Driver Who Turns Overnight Stops Into A Living Archive Of Namibia (March 18, 2026)