From the harvest to the grape stomping. A really cool experience.
We departed from Porto, from the Campanhã railway station, heading toward the Pinhão Valley, and from there, we took a bus to Quinta da Avessada in Vila Real, where we did the grape harvest. The train ride took about two hours, plus a little more time on the road. We climbed the mountain and reached the highest point of the village, at 700 meters altitude. Despite the sun, the thermometer showed 11 degrees.
When we arrived, there was a table with local delicacies and Moscatel wine waiting for us. After a briefing from the vineyard staff, we were given straw hats, buckets, and shears. Then we went to harvest the grapes, accompanied by traditional Douro region music and a lot of joy.
The grape harvest season in Portugal is open.
Despite the Moscatel variety being of great importance to the village of Favaios and the Douro region, the harvest was of red grapes. The grape harvest in the Douro takes place in September, when the grapes are in excellent condition and ready for consumption.
After the grape harvest, we went for lunch, which was a true spectacle. Starters, drinks, the traditional farmer’s soup, plenty of food, desserts, and performances by artists portraying village workers with their funny and charming stories.
By the late afternoon, there were wine tastings and the flagship of Quinta da Avessada’s production: the Moscatel. The shop was too small to accommodate everyone who wanted to take home a souvenir.
And finally, the famous grape stomping. Anyone who wanted to join in would take off their shoes, roll up their pants, and step into the tanks to crush the freshly picked grapes with their feet. Tradition says that only couples could stomp, but that wasn’t exactly the case…
The grape harvest tour in the Douro takes place in September on two different dates, with the next one on September 22. There are departures from various railway stations and returns as well. For more information, check the CP Portugal website. But first, check out the video we filmed of the grape harvest at Quinta da Avessada. We did some aerial shots with the Vamu Ver drone! It was a really fun experience, and I recommend it to everyone.
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