Hi Dicas!
In Portugal, when summer ends and autumn begins, it is a sign that grape harvests and harvest season will also begin. That's when the grapes are ready to be harvested from the vines, in a work done in a party and socialising environment, and then produce the wine of the year. In a broader sense, the harvest encompasses the period between the harvest of grapes and the beginning of wine production. It is a Portuguese tradition that enchants many, including the family of Dicas de Lisboa. In Portugal, harvest occurs in different months, according to the grape species and the location of the vineyards. In the Douro region, the harvest is made during the month of September and may extend until October.
The interesting thing about this remarkable time is that we can organise tours, like what our follower Luize Minotto did and shared affectionately with us. The wineries gather a group of people, harvest the curls, pick them up by hand or use support scissors to quickly cut them. After a lively harvest, you take it to the appropriate place so that everyone can step on making the experience even more incredible, and at the end of this experience you can taste some wines. It's definitely a unique and pleasurable moment. Among so many, some wines with a Designation of Origin are designated as "late vintage". These have to be commercialised under their variety and harvest year. They are wines that cannot be enriched. As the name implies, the late harvest consists of making a harvest of the grape later, giving time for the fungus Botrytis Cinérea (it is a fungus that is at the origin of the so-called "grey rot" of vegetables.) to affect the grapes, which gives the wine a sweet flavour.
And speaking a little more about late harvest, I will share a short excerpt from a small and no less interesting article by João Guedes:
Why are wines sweet?
This phenomenon causes a series of chemical reactions that modify parameters such as acidity and sugar. Thus, aromas of honey, flowers, tangerines and quince begin to quickly intensify inside the grapes, and improve during the winemaking process, creating sweet, glyceric, tasty, long and aromatic wines.
Are late harvests cheap wines?
These are wines that have great fame, demand and can even cost small fortunes. It is not uncommon to see a late harvest bottle Chateau D'Y that costs 1500 euros. In Portugal, we already have high quality Late Harvest wines at much more inviting prices.
TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS ARTICLE, CLICK HERE.
DICAS DE LISBOA INDICATE
The Lisbon by Clarisse, I had the joy of meeting through the Internet and in person on one of my trips to Lisbon. Today Lisbon by Clarisse is Experiences, where two Brazilian women, Clarisse and Raquel, have come together to share with everyone their passion for Portugal. They chose to live in Portugal several years ago. And due to so many experiences of the girls, we at Dicas de Lisboa decided to take some walks and were delighted with such friendliness and knowledge of these beautiful ones. That's why we recommend them. Count on their support and experiences for experiences such as harvests, among other tours they can provide so that their two in Lisbon and Portugal are unforgettable. And be sure to tell Clarisse Raquel that she found them through the Lisbon Tips, a precious tip!
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