South Africa's wine harvest will drop 8 percent after a heat wave shortened the picking season by a month, Business Day reports, citing Distell Group Ltd.

     Distell, which buys grapes from various winegrowing regions across the Western Cape province, paid about 10 percent more for grapes this year, the Johannesburg-based newspaper says.

     Before the heat wave hit, cooler than usual spring and early summer temperatures had slowed the ripening of the grapes, and benefited the flavors. As a result, Distell believes the quality of this year's harvest will be "outstanding."