The heat leads several vineyards in Portugal and harvests grapes cool at night

Vimieiro, Portugal (AP) – Workers pluck clusters of grapes badly while much of Portugal sleeps under the moonlight sky and the glow of the headlamp.

They harvest in the Allentejo region, sometimes called “Tuscan Portugal” and are for their gentle vineyards, olive groves and forests Supply cork to wine. This vineyard, about a 90-minute drive east of Lisbon, smells of ripe fruit on cool autumn nights. The laughter of the workers is mixed with the sound of the leaves.

Night Harvest is an old practice of grape cultivation, aimed at preserving the freshness of grapes and protecting them from the negative effects of Daytime heatsunlight and oxidation. As Portugal summers grow longer, hotter and more unpredictable, some Climate change – Practice has become more common here.

Bárbara Monteiro, co-owner and manager of The Herdade Da Fonte Santa Vineyard, said initially he had a hard time convincing the harvesters to work in the evening.

“Today, I can say they actually prefer this schedule because they often work on almost another day, enjoy the day and avoid the extreme heat that is common here,” she said.

Wine harvesting in Spain, Italy and Portuguese is generally carried out between late August and October, and varies based on region, grape type and weather conditions.

Some vineyards have been harvested at night for years. In parts of Italy, others have been around for over a decade. El Coto de Rioja Vineyard, located in Spain’s famous La Rioja region, chooses early morning harvests starting at 5am or 6am.

In the Allentejo region of Portugal, daytime temperatures can reach 40 Celsius (F 104), especially in August. At night, you can exceed 20 c (36 f).

Grapes are naturally sensitive to temperature shifts. Warm weather can reach sugar maturation before developing full flavor and ripeness, with higher alcohol levels but fewer complex wines. Also, intense heat can accelerate acid loss and lead to early fermentation as wild yeast and bacteria become more active.

By harvesting at night, Vintner can lock in more vibrant flavours that improve the quality of the wine produced.

“Climate change has had a major impact on our harvest and processes, and we’ve adopted it for many years,” Monteiro said.

Harvesters should also not worry about mild temperatures.

Foreman Vittle Lucas, 55, says he prefers the evening harvest despite the warm nights at the beginning of August.

Around 3am, workers take a short break and enjoy a meal known as “bucha,” consisting of cheese, olives, chorizo, bread, and even wine. They then return to the field for another 4 hours before returning home.

The wine harvest here usually ends in September or October. At the end of the season, temperatures are cooled significantly as Foreman Lucas and nearly 10 others work on the field.

“It’s a harvest that we enjoy doing,” he said.

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Naishadam reported from Madrid.

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