(Wine-Searcher) - Raging fires have ripped through Cape vineyards, leaving winemakers worried about the rest of the harvest.

Bushfires raging through one of South Africa's most popular international tourist destinations have destroyed vineyards and scorched thousands of hectares of spectacular scenery.

Firefighting teams and water-bombing aircraft were in action as the flames swept down Cape Town's southern peninsula, a mountainous spine of land running from the city to Cape Point, Africa's most southwestern tip.

At least two vineyards in the Constantia Valley, below the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, and one further south at Noordhoek, lost vineyards. Steenberg winery general manager John Loubser told Bloomberg that winemakers were concerned that smoke could taint unharvested grapes.

Harvest began early this year in South Africa, but there are still plenty of grapes to be picked.

"We got off relatively lightly in terms of damage to property, but the smoke will cause problems," Loubser said. "Any kind of smoke damage is not good. It gives a smoke taint to the vines."

The Constantia valley, about 14 kilometers (nine miles) from the city center of Cape Town, is home to a number of centuries-old wine estates, including Groot Constantia, established in 1684 and noted for sweet wines enjoyed by Napoleon during his six-year exile on Saint Helena island.

South Africa is the world’s eighth-largest wine producer, and harvested 1.17 billion liters in 2014, according to Wines of South Africa, an industry body. The first vineyard was planted in the Cape area in 1655.

Hundreds of residents were evacuated as strong winds and record high temperatures fueled the blaze. A total of 13 homes were destroyed or damaged by the fires, along with the five-star Tintswalo Atlantic Lodge, which is perched on the edge of the ocean near the fishing port and commuter village of Hout Bay.