Southern Hemisphere Harvest 2003

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More from Seasonal

Some regions shine, others struggle

Posted: May 28, 2003


		Machine harvesters pick the Sauvignon Blanc crop in New Zealand's Marlborough region. Photo by Bob Campbell

		Argentina

		Australia

		Chile

		New Zealand

		South Africa

		Also:

		The 2002 Southern Hemisphere Harvest Report

		The 2001 Southern Hemisphere Harvest Report

While harvest is still months away in the United States and Europe, winemakers in the Southern Hemisphere have some early results from their recently completed crush.

What did the 2003 vintage bring? Much of the Southern Hemisphere saw varying and unpredictable weather. The "El Niño" weather pattern was a factor in South American harvests, particularly in Argentina. Despite this, the vintage there appears to be potentially outstanding. In Chile, the weather was more uniform, contributing to slow ripening of the grapes. The warm late-summer weather led to a strong harvest.

Poor weather in New Zealand resulted in a drastically reduced crop, possibly to levels as low as half those of 2002. Due to drought conditions, Australia also saw a reduction in crop size. However, the drought helped keep grapes ripe and disease-free, resulting in good to excellent quality. In South Africa, excellent weather contributed to what some winemakers are calling "the greatest vintage in a generation."

Following are links to full reports of what to expect from the 2003 vintage in major wine regions throughout Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America.

Argentina

Despite uneven weather and a recurrence of the El Niño current, this year's harvest appears potentially outstanding. Producers are happy with the white varieties, while Malbec, the premier red grape, performed well.

Australia

Widespread drought conditions caused a substantial drop in the size of this year's wine-grape harvest—the first decline the country has seen. But the dry conditions kept the grapes free from disease, and quality ranges from good to excellent across many regions and varieties.

Chile

In the 2003 vintage, the weather patterns and quality were nearly uniform throughout the country. Producers seem to be happy with the quality of the hallmark reds: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and Syrah.

New Zealand

Frost and poor weather dramatically reduced the size of New Zealand's 2003 harvest. For U.S. consumers, that could mean less Sauvignon Blanc on store shelves in the near future.

South Africa

Despite weather patterns that can vary by region, producers in South Africa are almost unanimous in their praise for 2003. Some call it the best vintage in a generation.

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