Long gone are the days when the Romans introduced vine cultivation and promoted the development of viticulture and winemaking in the northernmost territories of our country, bringing new grape varieties, new knowledge, and a whole new culture around wine.

For thousands of years, year after year, around the autumn equinox, our people have celebrated harvest festivals, all of them of great importance. One of these festivities, however, has acquired such a special status that we have even given it a specific name, the Vindima (grape harvest).

The grape harvest is a time of great hustle and bustle, but also of great joy, from the time of the Romans, when grapes were trodden in rudimentary granite wine presses, to the present day, when wines ferment in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. The harvest of this unique fruit has always been celebrated by the farmers and people of our lands. Preparing for the grape harvest is the culmination of months of hard and dedicated work. It’s necessary to prune, treat, and plan so that everything can happen in the best possible way and so that we can all once again toast and share good times with the result of each year’s efforts and concerns.

In 2025, as in previous years, the plan at Quinta da Raza was to start the harvest at the exact moment when the grapes were perfectly ripe. Compared to 2024, the wine year started a little later, but an unusual number of days with temperatures around 40ºC meant that the grapes matured to the desired stage around August 21. The tannins and aromas of the grapes were already at their peak, the average acidity of the grapes was slightly lower than the previous year, but with a good balance in relation to the sugars; in short, there was no time to lose, it was time!

Once the alarm sounded, the harvest began with the Trajadura variety; we then moved on to the Alvarinho variety, from the slopes with the greatest sun exposure, and continued with the Gouveio variety. The remaining varieties were harvested according to the ripeness of each vineyard, ending with the Espadeiro variety from the Bouça Fria vineyard, which was the latest due to its longer growing cycle.

The grapes were in perfect condition, and even after a short period of rain in early September, there were no significant changes in their quality, which suggests a high-quality harvest with characteristics and typicality identical to the 2024 harvest.

In the end, thrilled with the conclusion of another journey, and despite being tired from several days of work where the adrenaline of the moment almost kept us awake, we couldn’t miss the team meeting at the dinner table. The cabbage soup, rojões (pork cubes) and sponge cake made by D. Rosa, served with Quinta da Raza wine, were the perfect outcome of the exhausting but very rewarding work that is wine making, so that we can share a little of our culture and provide our customers and friends with great moments of fellowship and sharing, just as others have done for millennia.

The white wines from this vintage stand out for their firm acidity and balanced flavour, with notes reminiscent of white fruits and citrus. The red wines reveal remarkable elegance, freshness, and authenticity, reflecting the true character of our region. As for the rosés, they shine with rosy-coral hue, delicate red berries aromas, and a refreshing palate — the perfect expression of summer in a glass.

To all of you who eagerly await each new harvest of Quinta da Raza wines, we offer our heartfelt thanks.