Douro wine growers to get €12m aid based on unpicked grapes

Portugal's Agriculture Ministry has detailed how a €12 million emergency support package for Douro wine growers will work, following its approval by the Council of Ministers on 4 September. The Institute of Douro and Porto Wines (IVDP) will pay growers directly, based on the volume of grapes left unpicked in the 2026-2027 harvest. Payments will be calculated by comparing 2026 output with each grower's average production over the previous five years, capped at €1,125 per hectare. The scheme responds to worsening market difficulties in the Douro, where growers report unsold grapes and low prices while operators cite full stocks and falling wine sales.

This appeared in the Pulse of 9 September 2026 — Read that edition →