Farmers and wineries agree with the regional agricultural board which estimates that the Algarve region will produce more grapes this year than last, leading to a welcome boost in wine production - and quality.
"Our forecasts which are given to the Instituto da Vinha e do Vinho (Institute of Vine and Wine) point to a production increase of around 10%. In terms of grape production our estimate at this time is for an increase of 20%," according to the director of Agriculture and Fisheries, Fernando Severino.
Good quality too - the statement from Severino referrs to the "excellent quality of grapes. 2013 will be a reference year in terms of the quality of wine produced."
According to data from the National Statistics Institute the Algarve region recorded a production of 1.234 million litres of wine last year, "If there is an increase of 10% this year we will reach the 1.357 million litre mark," according to Severino’s maths.
The increase in grape production is largely explained by a long operiod of low humidity up to September and the welcome absence of many of the damaging diseases that have so often reduced yields when humidity rises at ley stages in the growing season.
"Almost up until the end of September we had a constant year in climatic terms with low humidity. This kept diseases away from the growing vines, such as downy mildew and powdery mildew," said Severino adding that as all was well in growth terms it was possible to carry out much of the harvest before the rains which came with a vengance in late September.
The Algarve remains a small wine producing region of just 700 hectares but the quality has been boosted in recent years by dedicated new entrepreneurs in small wineries who have won medals normally reserved for the big hitters in the Alentejo and Douro regions.
