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In the Cool of a Portugal Night, It’s Time to Pick the Grapes
Harvesters in Portugal's Alentejo pick grapes from midnight to 8 a.m. to avoid 40°C daytime heat and preserve grape quality amid climate change, vintners say.
- At the Herdade da Fonte Santa vineyard near Vimieiro, Foreman Vitor Lucas supervised a night harvest with workers picking grapes under moonlight and headlamps.
- As summers in Portugal grow longer and hotter, daytime temperature in Alentejo reaches 40 Celsius with night temperature drops of 20 C , credited to climate change.
- Grape harvesters operate from midnight for seven hours, pausing around 3 a.m. for a 'bucha' break, and Foreman Vitor Lucas says it's "a harvest we enjoy doing."
- Night harvesting preserves grape freshness and flavor, shielding fruit from heat and oxidation, while Bárbara Monteiro says harvesters now often prefer the midnight to 8 a.m. shift despite initial struggles.
- Some vineyards have long practiced night harvesting, adapting to hotter summers, while Spain's El Coto de Rioja vineyard starts harvest at early morning start times 5 or 6 a.m., showing regional differences.
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16 Articles
16 Articles
Associated Press News+14 Reposted by 14 other sources
In Portugal, the cool of the night is when some vineyards harvest grapes
Portuguese vineyards are harvesting grapes at night to combat rising temperatures. This practice, rooted in tradition, helps preserve the freshness of grapes by avoiding daytime heat.
·United States
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Total News Sources16
Leaning Left10Leaning Right0Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution71% Left
Bias Distribution
- 71% of the sources lean Left
71% Left
L 71%
C 29%
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