In a significant move to address the challenges faced by viticulturists in the Douro region, the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto (IVDP) has urged approximately 18,000 grape growers to report the percentage of grapes left unharvested this season. This initiative aims to quantify the production that has gone to waste due to a lack of buyers and alternative uses for the grapes.
The suggestion to leave grapes unharvested was proposed by the ProDouro association, which represents professional grape growers in the region. The IVDP has sent out a formal request to viticulturists, asking them to fill out a spreadsheet detailing the characteristics of the vineyards that were not fully harvested. The deadline for submitting this information is set for November 15, but ProDouro has advised its members to keep the grapes on the vines until December 15 to facilitate inspections by the IVDP.
The initiative was conceived before the harvest season began, as many growers anticipated difficulties in selling their grapes. ProDouro had previously organized the Mostra da Uva do Douro to help promote the sale of grapes, but three months later, many vineyards remain unharvested due to a lack of buyers.
