The Algarve Wine Commission (CVA) said a lack of rain in winter and spring, coupled with high temperatures in July accelerated the grapes’ growth, which meant an early harvest this year.
In spite of this, in a statement sent to The Portugal News, Carlos Gracias, president of the CVA, said 2017 was a successful year for the region’s wine production, with a harvest yield of between 65 and 75 percent, and good grapes.
He added, investment in new vineyards and an increase of planted areas further contributed towards the predicted 20 percent growth in production this year.
“If economic conditions remain favourable and we continue to increase the attractiveness of the region to tourists, by 2018 - with the help of the distribution and catering sector - we anticipate a record year in the sales of Algarve Wines”, he explained.
Mário Santos, wine producer and owner of the Quinta da Tôr vineyard, said his expectations are also healthy.
“After harvesting a part of the production, from which we have also begun winemaking, I noted the grape was very healthy and with a great balance in terms of sugars and acidity, which gives me very good prospects for this year’s production”.
However, climatic challenges are never far from the industry’s concerns.
Mário Santos also noted an advancement of the harvest, which he says is “normal because it was a very dry year and summer”.
“It will not affect us in terms of quantity and quality”, he explained, because “we regulated the maturation of grapes with irrigation, which counterbalanced the effect of drought.”
The hot and dry summer has been widely documented by the Portuguese Met Office (IPMA), which confirmed summer 2017 was “extremely hot and dry”, having registered above-average air temperatures and below-average rainfall.
According to the IPMA, summer 2017 was one of the hottest and driest since records began.
The Met Office said this past summer was the sixth hottest and the third driest of this century (since 2000).
It was also the ninth hottest and seventh driest since records began in 1931.
June was the third hottest month of June ever since 1931, with the hottest day of 2017 being 17 June, when the massive fire in Pedrógão Grande flared up.
In June, around 80 percent of national territory was afflicted by severe or extreme drought, which continued into July, before dropping slightly to 60 percent in August.