![\"Douro](\"https:\/\/tasteporto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Douro_Harvest_Season_enchanted_valley.jpg\")
Pssst… Join our Food & Drink Tours <\/strong>and discover a side of Porto that most tourists rarely see \u00bb<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\nThe harvest is one of the oldest wine activities in Portugal and certainly one of the most genuine and traditional ones. The vineyards, that spend most of the year empty, come alive: full of grapes ready to be harvested, workers ready to pick and anticipation for the stomping of the grapes, a process that will transform the grapes into great Port and Douro wines. During this season, the aroma of graphs spreads through the valley, dazzling colors take over the landscape and the Douro seethes. The harvest season has arrived. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Douro](\"https:\/\/tasteporto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Douro_Harvest_Season_.jpg\")
credits: howtospendit.ft.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe Douro Valley harvest season is a cheerful time and you can feel it in the atmosphere, after all, the Wineries\/Quintas<\/em> finally get to collect the result of a long year of work and waiting. Despite the good mood, the harvest process involves a lot of long hours to reach the final result: the wines. There is no fixed date for the Douro harvest season to start but it usually happens in the second half of September, it depends on the weather conditions throughout the year and how the vineyards have reacted to it. There are many activities available only during this season. You can participate in the harvest with the locals, help to produce wine from the grapes by stomping away, and some wineries even allow you to take home with you the “fruits” of your labor. Can you imagine sharing a bottle of wine you produced with your friends? <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is so special about the Douro Harvest Season?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
As you know, it all starts with the picking of the grapes by hand. Keep in mind that there aren’t any machines helping in this part, it is all manual work. Grapes are literally hand-picked, with the help of scissors, of course, and the boxes are carried by workers on their back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Harvest](\"https:\/\/tasteporto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Douro_Harvest_Season_carrying_grapes.jpg\")
credits: Quinta do P\u00f4pa<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe grapes are then taken and poured into large stone tanks\/lagares<\/em>\u00a0and stomped by a group of workers to squash them and squeeze the liquid out from the skin. This happens to the sound of someone marking the rhythm with a song, so workers while embracing each other, can stomp in a synchronized and more effective way. After this, the pulp of the grapes are left to ferment and what happens next is kind of a secret because each winery has its own “recipe” to produce their unique wines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Douro](\"https:\/\/tasteporto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Douro_Harvest_Season_grape_stomping.jpg\")
credits: http:\/\/wonderful.uk.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nHow can you experience the harvest season?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
There are a number of wineries with special harvest programs. Two\u00a0of the best wineries in the\u00a0Douro region are Quinta do Popa\u00a0and Quinta do Seixo<\/a>, which we mention in\u00a0our\u00a0One Day\u00a0Trip To\u00a0Douro<\/a> article, and\u00a0both offer\u00a0harvest experiences to visitors.\u00a0These\u00a0experiences usually include\u00a0a visit\u00a0to the farm, including the vineyards and wine production facilities, grape picking, lunch, with plenty of traditional gastronomy and local wines, grape stomping, and wine tasting, to end a great day in the best possible way. Here’s a sample of a harvest experience our team enjoyed during the last Douro harvest season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Douro Valley harvest season is a cheerful time and you can feel it in the atmosphere, after all, the Wineries\/Quintas<\/em> finally get to collect the result of a long year of work and waiting. Despite the good mood, the harvest process involves a lot of long hours to reach the final result: the wines. There is no fixed date for the Douro harvest season to start but it usually happens in the second half of September, it depends on the weather conditions throughout the year and how the vineyards have reacted to it. There are many activities available only during this season. You can participate in the harvest with the locals, help to produce wine from the grapes by stomping away, and some wineries even allow you to take home with you the “fruits” of your labor. Can you imagine sharing a bottle of wine you produced with your friends? <\/p>\n\n\n\n As you know, it all starts with the picking of the grapes by hand. Keep in mind that there aren’t any machines helping in this part, it is all manual work. Grapes are literally hand-picked, with the help of scissors, of course, and the boxes are carried by workers on their back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The grapes are then taken and poured into large stone tanks\/lagares<\/em>\u00a0and stomped by a group of workers to squash them and squeeze the liquid out from the skin. This happens to the sound of someone marking the rhythm with a song, so workers while embracing each other, can stomp in a synchronized and more effective way. After this, the pulp of the grapes are left to ferment and what happens next is kind of a secret because each winery has its own “recipe” to produce their unique wines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a number of wineries with special harvest programs. Two\u00a0of the best wineries in the\u00a0Douro region are Quinta do Popa\u00a0and Quinta do Seixo<\/a>, which we mention in\u00a0our\u00a0One Day\u00a0Trip To\u00a0Douro<\/a> article, and\u00a0both offer\u00a0harvest experiences to visitors.\u00a0These\u00a0experiences usually include\u00a0a visit\u00a0to the farm, including the vineyards and wine production facilities, grape picking, lunch, with plenty of traditional gastronomy and local wines, grape stomping, and wine tasting, to end a great day in the best possible way. Here’s a sample of a harvest experience our team enjoyed during the last Douro harvest season. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is so special about the Douro Harvest Season?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How can you experience the harvest season?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n