Douro growers warn of unsold grapes and vineyard exits

Small and medium-sized wine growers in Portugal’s Douro region are struggling to sell part of this year’s grape harvest as production costs rise, highlighting mounting pressure on farm incomes in one of the country’s most important wine-producing areas.

Grower Manuel Jorge, who farms eight hectares in Ervedosa do Douro, said producing one hectare of vineyard can cost about €5,000, covering labour, crop treatments, machinery and transport. He said 20 pipas of his harvest are already allocated to the Douro’s “benefício” system for Port wine, but he still does not know whether he will be able to sell another 30 pipas, or at what price. Grapes outside that quota, typically destined for still DOC Douro wines, can fetch between €150 and €400 per pipa, compared with €900 to €1,200 for grapes used for Port.

The “benefício” sets the maximum amount of must that each producer in the Douro Demarcated Region can allocate to Port wine, making it a key factor in growers’ revenues. The quota fell from 104,000 pipas in 2023 to 90,000 in 2024 and 75,000 in 2025, before the Douro and Port Wine Institute authorised 76,000 pipas for 2026, equivalent to 57 million kilograms of grapes.

Manuel Cordeiro, mayor of São João da Pesqueira and a grower himself, told ECO that some producers are considering abandoning or selling their vineyards because margins have been squeezed for years. Casa do Douro president Rui Paredes said he fears grapes could again be left unharvested, as happened in 2024, while growers pointed to emergency distillation support and changes to what they describe as outdated rules for the region as possible responses.

Originally published at Eco.pt