Companhia das Lezírias reports 36% increase in 2026 grape harvest

Companhia das Lezírias announced on 29 October that its 2026 grape harvest at Herdade do Catapereiro increased by 36% compared with 2025. The Portuguese state-owned company collected 814,800 kg from 100 hectares of vineyard managed entirely under organic production methods.¹

Average yield reached 8.1 tonnes per hectare, up from 6.0 tonnes per hectare in 2025. Red grapes accounted for 530,460 kg, or 65.1% of the crop, while white grapes represented 284,340 kg, or 34.9%. According to the company, red-grape production rose by 32% and white-grape production by 43% year on year.¹

The harvest lasted 8 weeks during a year that the company said was marked by wide temperature swings. Companhia das Lezírias said the extended picking period allowed each variety to be harvested at its preferred stage of ripeness. It attributed the result to experience gained over several years, vineyard management and tighter operational control during the conversion of Catapereiro to organic production.¹

Chairman Eduardo Oliveira e Sousa presented the increase as evidence that production could grow without abandoning the company’s quality or environmental standards and said investment in the organic model would continue. Winemaker Bernardo Cabral described the white grapes as fresh and balanced and the reds as structured and complex; these were the company’s preliminary assessments of the fruit and the wines expected from the 2026 vintage.¹