Minister Winde to visit Western Cape wine farm, harvest season in full swing despite drought and fires
This week, Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities, will visit one of the Western Cape wine farms where harvest time is in full swing.
On Thursday (28 January 2016), Minister Winde will visit the Diemersfontein Wine Estate.
During his visit, Minister Winde will discuss the measures taken to mitigate the risks of fires and droughts.
Thokozani Wines, an empowerment initiative from Diemersfontein Wine Estate, will offer Minister Winde a behind-the-scenes look at their harvest process.
Thokozani Wines is a black-owned wine label which started producing their Ovation wine collection for Woolworths last year.
Early indications are that the wine grape harvest will be smaller this year, though experts predict a higher quality.
Minister Winde reiterated his concern about the impact of the fires and droughts on the wine industry.
“Teams from the Department of Agriculture are assessing the damage caused by fires to agricultural land and infrastructure. Agri-processing, which includes the wine industry, is one of our key growth sectors. Project Khulisa has identified growing our wine industry as a focus area. It is our goal to increase exports to strategic markets. Our objective is to double wine exports to key destinations by 2025.”
Details:
Date: 28 January 2016
Venue: Diemersfontein Wine and Country Estate, R301, Jan van Riebeeck Weg, Wellington
Time: 14h00
For media queries, kindly contact:
Bronwynne Jooste
Tel: 021 483 3550
Cell: 060 970 4301
E-mail: bronwynne.jooste@westerncape.gov.za
