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.”