2025 Harvest Outlook

Preparations are underway for the 2025 harvest at our estates in the Douro, Alentejo and Vinho Verde regions. Since early August, our viticultural teams have been conducting maturation studies to plan the harvest and give us the first indications of this year’s potential. Yields are expected to be low, but there are encouraging signs of promising quality. White grapes are already being harvested in the Douro and Alentejo, while red varieties continue to ripen under close coordination between our viticulture and winemaking teams.

Following the more moderate growth cycle that we saw in 2024, the conditions this year have been more erratic. While December was exceptionally dry, we saw well above average rainfall in all three regions that we farm in January, March and April. In the Douro, March was the second wettest so far this century, with budbreak occurring in the last week of the month – close to the long-term norm.

By the end of July, the Douro faced a 34% rainfall deficit, with almost no rain in June or July and four heatwaves, one particularly severe. In early August, a 10-day heatwave in the Douro brought maximum temperatures consistently above 40°C, exceeding the 7-day heatwave of 2003 (also with 40°C+ maximums). While temperatures in the Alentejo and Vinho Verde were not as high, both regions experienced similar rainfall deficits.

Early-season water reserves supported swift flowering and generally good fruit set, but prolonged heat has slowed berry development, which will likely result in a smaller production overall. Early indications show that berry sizes will be up to 30% smaller than average in the Douro. However, phenological development is broadly on track and there are encouraging signs that the overall quality will be very good.

With temperatures now gradually decreasing to more normal seasonal levels (bringing noticeably cooler nights) and the possibility of light showers, there are good prospects for ideal conditions for the final stages of ripening of our red grape varieties. While our Fonte Souto winery in the Alentejo is already open, our teams will soon be preparing our boutique Douro wineries for the start of this year’s harvest and the sequence of picking our different grape varieties.

Charles Symington, Head Winemaker