The periods of intense heat that have been felt in the country led to the harvest, whose beginning traditionally took place in September, to be anticipated in some regions, such as the Alentejo, where the harvests began in July.
© Lusa
15/08/2026
by
Lusa
“ A date of harvest varies widely between regions, castes and plots [...]. Still, we have observed a tendency of anticipation in several regions, mainly associated with the increase in temperatures and the higher frequency of intense heat periods, which accelerate the maturation of the grape ", said the president of ViniPortugal, Frederico Falcão, in response to Lusa.
In the Douro, there was an anticipation of the harvests in the order of one to two weeks.
In the warmer regions, such as the Tagus and Alentejo, the harvest began during the last weeks of July.
However, the association recalled that more than maintaining the date of harvest is important to harvest each plot when “there is an adequate balance between maturation, acidity, sugar and aromatic profile”.
Frederico Falcão said that climate change requires increasingly rigorous monitoring of the vineyard and faster decisions.
On the other hand, it is necessary to make more efficient use of water, careful soil management and to have greater precision in choosing on the date of harvest and practices to protect curls.
“ If a few years ago it was common practice to leave the curls more exposed so that the maturation would be faster, today the opposite is done, leaving the clusters protected by the foliage of the vines. The solutions depend on each region and on each exploration”, he explained.
According to ViniPortugal data, the country has more than 250 autochthonous varieties identified, with different behavior against heat, drought and water stress.
Thus, as pointed out, in some regions it may make sense to progressively increase the use of later or more heat resistant varieties and lack of water.
The Secretary-General of the Confederation of Farmers of Portugal (CAP), Luís Mira, told Lusa that, on average, “in the last 15 years”, harvests take place increasingly early due to climate change, which also led to the adaptation of technology and agronomic and oenological knowledge.
“[...] Although the harvests had, on average, receded in the calendar, they did not shrink in the quality of the product, indeed, on the contrary”, he said.
Luís Mira stressed that production and winemaking methods today allow better control of the evolution of fruit, better care during the production period and thus avoid pests and diseases.
“ The technology today is transversal, from the vineyard to the consumer's glass. The demand for less alcoholic wines, the reversal of the consumption of white wines and roses, which has increased, the lower demand for liqueur and fortified wines are more a result of consumer choices than climate change,” he added.
On the company side, Quinta de Lemos, which produces Dão wines, confirmed this new reality, with the harvest being anticipated between two and three weeks from the average in recent years.
With this, according to the winemaker of Quinta de Lemos Hugo Chaves, the workforce must be reorganised, especially at a time when more workers are needed.
The lack of labour has also been felt by Vicentino Wines on the Vicentina Coast and the Cooperative d’A, on Pico Island.
“ Through temporary labor companies we have achieved, but the capacity and quality of work is getting smaller and smaller,” said the winemaker of the two companies, Bernardo Cabral.
As for the vintage in Vicentino Wines and the Cooperative d’A is running in line with the average of previous years.
“The wine year 2025/2026 is happening smoothly. The recorded rainfall has led to a good availability of water, very important for the development of the plant. Spring and summer are being relatively mild allowing a great rate of ripening of the grape. However, we have been adapting some cultural practices such as encampments in the interline to retain moisture in the soil, water management through equipment and programs that give us accurate information about the needs of the plant ", needed.
Also in the table grapes, the harvest is taking place within the usual calendar and without bumps.
In Frutally, which holds Dona Uva, it is expected a “normal harvest, with ideal productions for culture”, thus expecting a campaign higher than last year, with about three million kilograms (kg).
Still, Frutalmente’s executive director, Mário Rodrigues told Lusa that it has been necessary to adapt the conditions of production due to climate change, highlighting, for example, phytosanitary management that “is increasingly demanding for climate instability and the increased pressure of diseases”.
In order to mitigate this context, the company has about 40% of production made in drought, reducing water dependence, and has a system of clusters in higher trunks, increasing the production and traceability of the harvest.
On the other hand, the shortage of labour is also a problem for Frutally, which, in the months of the campaign, makes use of the subcontracting of temporary and service companies to meet the harvesting needs and to ensure the supply of customers.