South Africa Wine has reported a high level of quality for the 2026 harvest thanks to technical expertise and careful vineyard management, which managed to offset some of the year’s more difficult challenges.

According to South Africa Wine, the season was defined by significant climatic variability, shifting between dry conditions and periods of intense rainfall. 

A warm, dry growing phase supported strong vineyard development and fruit set. However, rainfall introduced disease pressure in certain regions, requiring careful management. 

Heat spikes in March then compressed harvest windows, demanding both vineyard and cellar interventions, resulting in smaller berries and more concentrated flavours. 

Despite these challenges, South Africa Wine said that early indicators point to a strong harvest, with impressive flavour concentration, balanced acidity and sugars and outstanding colour development in red wines. 

The harvest is estimated at 1.370m tonnes, marking a moderate recovery from 2025, which yielded 1.244m tonnes. 

On the harvest, Dr Etienne Terblanche, consultation service manager at Vinpro, said: “This was a highly variable and technically demanding season, requiring producers to make precise, informed decisions in both the vineyard and cellar. 

“From canopy management and irrigation discipline to selective harvesting and careful sorting under disease pressure, the 2026 harvest highlights the depth of expertise across our industry. The result is wines with excellent balance, concentration and strong premium potential.” 

Meanwhile, on worldwide markets, Siobhan Thompson, CEO of Wines of South Africa, said: “Global markets are increasingly looking for authenticity, quality and consistency – and the 2026 vintage delivers on all three.  

“The exceptional quality of this vintage reinforces South Africa’s reputation as a producer of world-class wines and supports our ongoing efforts to grow value in export markets.”