Description
We experienced cool winter weather which allowed for an adequate resting phase for our vines. Some early budding was experienced, but this was soon held back by the cold weather which followed. Wind and hail during budding followed by periods of heavy rain and wind during the flowering season, affected crop quantity. A warm, dry ripening season meant less vigorous vine growth. Soil moisture had to be monitored closely to ensure perfect ripening conditions. A very good balance between stressing the vines for flavour and irrigating accordingly was achieved. Canopies were well managed to ensure the perfect canopy for ripening management. The 2024 harvest had a small and light yield with amazing flavour and quality.
Producer Profile
Given owner Toby Venter’s assumed need for speed, as CEO of LSM Distributors, responsible for Porsche and Lamborghini in South Africa, as well as the owners of Kyalami race track, his purchase of Uva Mira Mountain Vineyards in 2013, up against the slopes of the Helderberg seems in direct contrast to this high octane lifestyle.
Everything in wine is time. Uva Mira is named for a famous star in the constellation of Cetus (a Greek sea monster who was offered the princess Andromeda to appease Poseidon but was slain by Perseus either by sword or using Medusa’s head which turned him to stone – the details are complicated and murky). The giant red star named ‘the wonderful’ or ‘Mira’ in Latin undergoes a 332-day cycle of fading into obscurity, becoming bright, and then fading again (over almost a year), drawing parallels between winemaking and stargazing. The patience inherent to growing grapes, understanding the terroir, blending, and maturation, the once-a-year opportunity to harvest, and the celebration once you can taste the literal fruits of your labour – explains the name Uva Mira, Latin meaning The Wonderful Grape.
