Still far from the end, the harvest season is going very well for Portuguese wine producers. The President of the Institute of Vine and Wine speaks of an “abnormal” year, with more quality and more quantity.
Earlier this summer, the institute estimated that production would increase by 10%, but the drought may change expectations, with Frederico Falcão stressing that the singularity of each region will contribute to the final accounts. “In the central region, in Bairrada and Dão, the estimate is of a growth of between 17 and 20% and we think it will take place. In Alentejo, due to drought, production is expected to be below forecasts. ”
The year is marked by the anticipation of the harvest, something that Frederico Falcão does not remember having lived before. “Harvesting began much earlier. At this time all regions of the country are harvesting. I do not remember a year like this. Harvesting began two to three weeks in advance. ”
For Falcão, the anticipation depended on the heat: “The spring was very hot, especially the month of May. Then came the heat and the drought. The plant cycle has gone ahead with these conditions. ” This means that in some regions of the country, harvesting started early in August, prompting the IVV president to speak in a “year out of the ordinary” for the wine sector in Portugal.
