High-quality, good volume year

- mild year, favourable cycle, unstable weather at harvest -

The 2023 harvest in Portugal is one of high to very high quality and variable volumes by region, thanks to the overall mild cycle, extreme weather events, and irregular rains during the harvest.

Sogrape is Portugal's leading wine company, with around 1,000 hectares of vineyards in six renowned regions, the birthplace of its DOCs «Alentejo», «Bairrada», «Bucelas», «Dão», «Douro», «Porto» and «Vinho Verde». In addition, it purchases grapes from more than 2,000 winegrowers in the country. Its own production is of high quality, reflecting the year’s conditions at its various estates and regions, affording good future prospects for its wines.

In Portugal, the IVV-Instituto da Vinha e do Vinho (Portuguese Institute for Vine and Wine) predicted in July a harvest of good quality and higher in volume than the previous one, as a result of the favourable year [IVV - 2023 Harvest Forecast]. The mild summer, as opposed to the extreme heat experienced across much of Europe, brought earlier than normal cycles and maturations, with good prospects. Some weather instability and rain on the harvest changed expectations. In several regions, early harvests avoided more significant losses caused by the bad weather. [IVV final data predicted for December 2023]

❖ Sogrape Highlights

• Whites of high quality, and lower volume in Vinhos Verde

humid and challenging year, prompt cycle and early harvest

• Whites of high quality and more production in Bucelas

favourable year, with everything occurring at the right time.

• High to very high quality and more volume in Dão

favourable cycle, early harvest before the worst of the rains.

• Production of very good quality and lower volume in the Alentejo

favourable and promising cycle, affected by the excessive heat in August.

• High to very high quality and good production in Douro and Port wines

favourable cycle and good prospects, extreme weather events, intermittent rain at harvest.