Meet Plett’s new-wave wine farm owners, Laura and Philip Harvey at Luka Vineyards

Published: December 9th, 2019
Plettenberg Bay is a relatively new wine of origin region. Grapes in the area serve as the backbone of many popular pinot noir and sauvignon blanc wines, and the region is home to prestigious Méthode Cap Classique wines which are renowned for quality. It’s largely ruled by newbies in the industry which make it easy for new blood to become established.

The Plett winescape is changing. There’s an electricity buzzing across the region, as a growing contingent of adventurous agriculture entrepreneurs settle into urban space, some who are enlisting the next generation of South African winemakers.

We have seen wines unbound by the shackles of convention to meet the desires of millennial consumers, an emergence of racy, exciting and even avant-garde techniques. The first sauvignon MCC, unwooded chardonnay and beautiful juicy rosé wines. The array of microclimates and soil types can product a rainbow of wine styles, and the new owners of Luka, Laura and Phillip Harvey, are ready to tackle their vines with gusto.

Plett Tourism: What inspired you to purchase a wine farm?
Laura Harvey: Not so much inspired as the planets aligned! We had sold our yacht manufacturing business in Knysna and we did a bit of plotting and planning for our next chapter. Phil and I met in our early twenties, we fell in love, but more than that we enjoyed adventuring together. We have always worked together, so it was only natural to set about thinking what could involve us both for the next exciting phase of life. Many things fell into place. We figured boat building must be the most challenging of professions, how hard can owning a vineyard be? Lots to learn for sure, but it’s real stuff.

PT: What have been the biggest rewards in purchasing your new business and home?

Read the full article here: https://www.plett-tourism.co.za/meet-pletts-new-wave-wine-farm-owners-laura-and-phillip-harvey-at-luka-vineyards/