Wine production in the Algarve is expected to fall in 2022 compared to the previous year, due to the scarcity of water and the weather conditions that were felt throughout the current campaign.
«We still don't have the final results, the harvest is still going on, but what we predict is that there has been a break», revealed Sara Silva, president of the Algarve Wine Commission (CVA), to the Sul Informação.
Even so, and taking into account that «there are new vines in production, which could fill the gap that resulted from the older vines», it is still not possible to envisage a final percentage.
In terms of volume, the perspective is that «1 million and 500 thousand liters will be produced».
What is certain is that, this year, the harvest started very early. And this is a phenomenon that “will happen more and more”, warned Sara Silva.
“Last year we started in the first days of August. This year, we started in the last week of July, more for whites and sparkling wines. The high temperatures of July resulted in this anticipation of the work», added the president of CVA.
In some cases, the heat that was felt also caused «sunburn, not only here in the Algarve but also in other regions of the country».
More than a one-off problem, drought is already a structural problem for the Algarve's wine industry.
«Rain is essential for the production of quality wine. We are not necessarily an irrigation culture, but it is necessary, it is important, and it cannot always be replaced by an equivalent irrigation. This is one of the biggest complaints we see from producers”, said Sara Silva.
«It doesn't rain in the Algarve, it is a reality that assists us and this has also resulted in the quality and profitability that can be obtained from the harvest. It is increasingly evident that it is essential to find some kind of solution that can be an alternative to rain, although it is always very important », he reinforced.
In addition to environmental factors, this year – and for an undetermined period of time – also weighed «the challenge of energy conditioning, the increase in the cost of dry materials. This all results in major challenges for activities like ours, which are relatively low productions».
In addition to the conjunctural context costs, there are other characteristics of the region. «The cost of land is high, the cost of labor too, production is limited…», he lists.
This leads Sara Silva to consider that, despite the Algarve already having the highest sales price to the average public in the country, it still «falls short» of the other regions, in terms of real return.
«The path of cheap wines to Portugal will have to stay behind. This is our path: to position ourselves in the premium wines segment, so that we can be present in other markets”, he said.
“It is essential to unlock the price issues. What we are selling here is a wine based on our genuineness, we have to value our products, put them in the spotlight and know how to sell them», concluded the president of CVA.
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