This year the harvest in the Douro valley started ten to fifteen days earlier than it is usual in the Douro valley due to a mix of both hot and semi-cold weather, that also decreased the quantity in less 30%.
The normal procedure is to start the picking of white grapes in the end of August beginning of September and one week after the red grapes, but this year the maturation process was faster.
The vines were also affected by the intense heat in the last days of June that damaged some of the more delicated grape varietals, mildew and insect attacks forced the grape growers and the producers to apply more products in order to protect the vineyards.
The three heat periods that occurred between April and May accelerated the growth cycle of the vines. Then, the temperatures in July and in the first fifteen days of August were lower allowing the plants to work faster and more constant, avoiding the water stress what will be reflected in a better quality of the Port and wine.
Worldwide crisis has been forcing the IVDP (Port wine Institute) to reduce the Port wine production.
In 2001- the maximum allowed were 145000 casks (79.500000liters) used for the "benefício" (the process of adding a distilled grape spirit in order to stop the fermentation and boost the alcohol content).
Currently for 2011 the maximum allowed is 85000 casks of wine (46.750000 liters), in about ten years there was a decrease of 45%.
Gonçalo Devesas
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