“There is a need for additional control during this harvest period, beyond what is already done throughout the year by each of the organizations and institutions,” stated the president of the Comissão de Viticultura da Região dos Vinhos Verdes (CVRVV).
Dora Simões explained that for over 15 years, ASAE, CVRVV, and the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto (IVDP) have had a cooperation protocol aimed at controlling the harvests, particularly the traceability of grapes with a designation of origin.
“The control can be for grapes and the movement of grapes and wines to ensure that the origin of the grapes is indeed what the consumer will find on the label,” she specified.
The president of the CVRVV noted that the three entities conduct joint actions throughout the year, but during this period, controls are intensified due to the increased movement of grapes and wines in cellars brought about by the harvest.
“Our aim is to ensure that the designation of origin is guaranteed from the vineyard to the wine bottle at the point of sale,” she emphasized.
Dora Simões highlighted that irregularities of varying severity are detected every year.
“The idea behind these controls is, primarily, to have a deterrent effect,” she remarked.
Wine production in the 2025/2026 campaign is expected to decrease by 11% to 6.2 million hectoliters, particularly in Douro, Lisbon, and Alentejo, according to estimates from the Instituto da Vinha e do Vinho (IVV).
“It is estimated that wine production in the 2025/2026 campaign will reach 6.2 million hectoliters, 11% less than the previous campaign,” reads a note from the IVV dated July.
The largest declines are in Douro (-20%), Lisbon (-15%), and Alentejo (-15%).
These three regions together will produce 679,000 hectoliters less compared to the previous campaign.
This decline is due to meteorological instability, which created conditions conducive to the development of fungal diseases.
