News
The 2019 Douro harvest report
It is easy for visitors to the Douro to assume that our region is one where change happens slowly, if at all. We produce wines in a region of exceptional beauty, with hillsides sculpted by stone terraces built generations ago and unforgiving vineyards still predominantly harvested by hand. However, a closer look shows a region that is experiencing accelerating rates of change across all dimensions – social, economic, viticultural and environmental. The 2019 harvest marks another important milestone in our region’s transition to a new era – both challenging and exciting.
The Douro has been experiencing demographic decline for more than 15 years, with young people naturally looking beyond the extremely demanding job of a winemaker to alternative careers. As a result, and the welcome Portuguese tourism boom which offers good employment opportunities, it has been increasingly difficult to find seasonal workers at harvest time. Unlike easily mechanizable vineyards in other wine regions, the Douro has more than 42,000 hectares (103,785 acres) of mountain vineyards (representing 52% of the world total). We face a considerable challenge if there are not enough people to bring the grapes into the winery at harvest time. The previous two vintages saw yield deficits, but 2019 was a bigger year, more in line with average, and many properties struggled to find enough people to choose from.
At Symington we employ many people during the vintage and will continue to do so. We have over 1,000 hectares (2,472 acres) of prime Douro vineyards, much of it on narrow stone terraces with steep slopes that can only be harvested by hand. However, in anticipation of the labor shortage, we have been pioneers over the past 7 years in the development of a mechanical harvester designed for mountain vineyards. The 2019 harvest was the 4th year of testing with the Symington-Hoffmann harvester, which performed well on terraces in several of our Quintas and far exceeded expectations. There are still challenges to overcome, in particular the adaptation of some of our vineyards to accommodate the harvesters. Nevertheless, I believe we have a viable solution to one of the great problems facing the future of our region. It is clear that the labor challenge must be addressed for all Douro farmers, as such an investment could be prohibitive for many. We will share the results of our trials and help relevant institutions explore solutions for the region.
It is important to note that comparative blind tastings of wines made from hand-picked grapes and harvester-picked grapes continue to show that they are of equal quality. I'm particularly excited that the harvester gives us an edge in picking at the right time, rather than being dependent on increasingly complex logistics with shrinking picking crews. The ability to quickly adapt to vineyard conditions allows us to take more risks in the pursuit of even higher quality.
Our company has clearly called for a reform of the outdated quota system for Port grapes which has had a negative impact on the prices that farmers receive for the grapes they sell for Douro wines (sales below the cost of production in almost all cases). We were pleased that the market price of Douro wine grapes increased significantly in 2019, although this was likely due to the previous two low yielding harvests meaning demand was higher (with many producers looking to increase their stocks), rather than a permanent change. Without a new regulatory system covering Port and the Douro DOC, the imbalance will persist – farmers will suffer financially and the exciting Douro wine scene will be built on a false and dangerously unsustainable cost foundation.