The harvest has returned to the Douro, bringing with it the activity that for generations has marked the rhythm of the region. Wine is the main product of the vineyard, sustains producers and businesses, and carries the name of the Douro around the world. However, during the production process, large quantities of by-products are also generated, such as grape stems, seeds, pomace and lees, which for a long time were seen only as waste.
These materials have a complex chemical composition, particularly rich in phenolic compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Research has shown that they can have applications in cosmetics, food ingredients, pharmaceutical products, nutraceuticals and biomaterials, opening possibilities that just a few years ago would have been hard to imagine.
The author, Ana Novo Barros, a professor at UTAD and researcher at CITAB, argues that this transformation represents an opportunity to create additional value from the same vineyard and the same harvest. However, she acknowledges that there is a considerable path between demonstrating potential in the laboratory and transforming those extracts into real products. She emphasises the importance of bringing together universities, producers, wineries, companies and investors so that knowledge leaves the laboratory and finds practical application.
The author concludes that wine will continue to be the great value of the harvest, but argues that the value of the Douro should not end in the bottle. She advocates that part of the new value created from these by-products should remain in the region, creating new value chains, skills and businesses that add future to an activity deeply linked to the history of the Douro.
