Douro Winemakers Urge President to Address Crisis: A Call for Immediate Action

Douro Winemakers Head to Lisbon

A delegation of 20 winemakers from the Douro region is set to meet with the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, in Lisbon on Tuesday to discuss pressing issues affecting their industry. This meeting comes after a previous appointment was canceled due to a tragic helicopter accident that claimed the lives of five GNR military personnel.

Urgent Concerns for the Region

Manuel Cordeiro, president of São João da Pesqueira, stated that winemakers are struggling to sell their grapes as the harvest season is underway. They aim to persuade the President to use his influence to help find solutions for the Douro wine crisis.

During the meeting, the delegation plans to present a manifesto highlighting their immediate concerns, including the fact that many winemakers are facing difficulties in selling their grapes this harvest season. With declining sales and overstocked inventories, many operators are either purchasing fewer grapes or not buying at all.

Financial Strain on Producers

Producers are also expressing frustration over receiving lower prices for their grapes while production costs continue to rise. Following public demonstrations and a petition titled “Save Douro Winemakers”, which garnered around 1,500 signatures, they are now appealing to the President for sensitivity and intervention.

In the past two years, there has been a significant drop of 26,000 barrels (550 liters each) in the quantity of must that can be allocated for Port wine production, a vital revenue source for Douro winemakers.

Demands for Government Action

In their manifesto, the winemakers demand that the government “act once and for all” to resolve the ongoing crisis. They are requesting mandatory use of regional grape spirits in the production of Port wine by the 2025 campaign. The Minister of Agriculture has already been in discussions regarding the legal and economic feasibility of this proposal.

The manifesto also calls for a total ban on wines from outside the region, effective IVDP oversight, and urgent financial support for those unable to sell their grapes this campaign. They seek the deactivation of fees paid to the IVDP and immediate reinforcement of funds for crisis distillation.

Reinvigorating Douro’s Voice

Moreover, they are advocating for the reactivation of the Casa do Douro as the region’s representative body and a comprehensive legal and institutional reform. The signatories express that their patience and resilience are wearing thin, lamenting the lack of empathy from authorities and warning about an ineffective IVDP.