Wine appellations group seeks nationwide crisis aid

Portugal’s National Association of Wine Appellations, ANDOVI, said the government’s newly announced €12 million support package for Douro growers should be only a first step, arguing that the crisis in the wine sector is affecting all producing regions and not just the Douro. According to the association, producers across the country are facing problems selling this year’s grapes and are being hit by falling prices.

ANDOVI, which represents 14 wine regions in mainland Portugal as well as Madeira and the Azores, said “all Portuguese wine-producing regions face similar difficulties,” especially in moving production and coping with lower grape prices. The association said it has been warning the government about the imbalance between supply and demand and that reports of marketing difficulties continue to emerge from different parts of the country.

The group welcomed the Douro measure as “positive and necessary” but said it should be quickly extended to growers in other regions with protected designation of origin and geographical indication labels that are also affected. It also argued that the support should be financed with public funds, including the state budget, so that other regions are not excluded from aid mechanisms.

Beyond emergency support, ANDOVI called for more funding to promote Portuguese wine in the domestic market and abroad through stronger partnerships with regional wine commissions. It also asked for medium- and long-term action to address what it described as structural problems in the sector, including closer market oversight, a better match between production and consumption, and pressure from rising imports.

Originally published at Eco.pt