The president of the Technical Association of Alentejo Wine Growers (ATEVA), Nuno Rodrigues, warned of flaws in the control of imported wine that legally enters Portugal, defending that there is an average difference of about 70 million liters per year, over the last seven years, between imported wine and that whose destination is subsequently identified through market placement declarations. In an interview with Alentrium, conducted on the day wine growers demonstrated at 39 points across the country, Nuno Rodrigues stated that the issue is not clandestine entry, but rather the inability to track the wine's journey within the national market after its legal entry.
The president of ATEVA considered that the absence of detailed tracking creates conditions for imported wine to possibly be incorporated into product presented as Portuguese or certified, being a suspicion and a risk arising from the lack of control, not a proven widespread practice. Nuno Rodrigues gave the example of a farm declaring production higher than what was actually obtained in the vineyard and making up the difference with wine acquired from outside. The association rejects that the solution lies in banning imports and defends that the rules for imported wines follow the same rules as certified wines.
ATEVA proposes the use of the Vineyard and Wine Information System (SIVV) to ensure updated current accounts of imported and non-certified wines, allowing regional wine commissions to participate directly in inspection. Nuno Rodrigues also advocated for adopting a model inspired by the French Egalim Law, aimed at introducing greater balance in the value chain. The association expressed confidence that this funding for inspection could come from fees already charged by the sector, without new burdens on taxpayers.
The national mobilization, held under the slogan "No to fraud, yes to what is Portuguese," was not organized by ATEVA or the institutional structures representing the sector, having emerged from a group on social media. ATEVA decided to support the mobilization and encourage members to participate, interpreting the participation of producers during the harvest as a sign of existing discontent. The association now intends to follow up institutionally on the claims, bringing them to the Ministry of Agriculture.
