A short report on harvest 2020, and looking towards a post Covid-19 brand.
Harvest 2020
Since the launch of Yo El Rey in the U.K. in November last year, a lot has happened. I landed back in Cape Town on the 18th of February, and 24 hours later, had deliveries of Grenache Gris and Syrah grapes arriving in the cellar. The next few weeks came hard and fast, but it meant that this year’s harvest was condensed into a much shorter season than expected. Thankfully, by the time the COVID-19 pandemic gripped here in South Africa, everything was picked, pressed and barrelled down. A huge relief indeed, given just how intense the lockdown restrictions have been.
The pandemic, however, has had far reaching effects on the industry, both in domestic markets (a total ban of alcohol sales countrywide in South Africa) and abroad (exports have only just been permitted to begin moving again). However, with great upheaval and change comes opportunity, and this time has undoubtedly given me a moment to reconsider the business in a more holistic sense. This wine is part of a bigger story, and in that lies the possibility to really expand and grow the brand.