The Government approved on September 4, in Council of Ministers, an exception regime with an allocation of 12 million euros to support Douro wine growers who cannot sell all their grapes in the 2026-2027 campaign, due to current market difficulties.
The extraordinary support will be paid directly by the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto (IVDP) to wine growers, based on the quantity of grapes left unharvested. The assigned value will be calculated by comparing the production declared in 2026 with the average production of each wine grower over the previous five campaigns, limited to 1,125 euros per hectare. Wine growers must identify in their application the plots covered and keep the grapes in the vineyard until verification by the IVDP, with the support paid in a single installment after on-site inspection.
Grape marketing problems have worsened this year in the Douro, with wine growers complaining of having no buyers, of only having sales guaranteed for "benefício" grapes (quantity destined for Port wine production), and of the low price paid for grapes. On the other side, operators warn of full stocks and declines in wine sales.
The Ministry of Agriculture explains that this exception regime is part of a framework of measures to normalize the wine sector, safeguard economic, social, and environmental sustainability, and protect producers and the cultural and landscape heritage of the Douro region.
