Portugal Harvests Grapes at Night

Portugal's wine producers have begun harvesting grapes at night to mitigate the effects of extreme heat caused by climate change. Herdade das Servas, an estate located 150 kilometres east of Lisbon, adopted nighttime harvests after a successful test in 2024.

The estate, which spans around 350 hectares, started its nighttime harvests in early August, two weeks earlier than usual. Despite the late hour, the temperature at the estate in southern Portugal's Alentejo region was still 28C at midnight.

In contrast, the daytime peak temperature at the estate can reach a scorching 40C, making it essential to spare workers from such extreme heat. The nighttime harvests have become a necessity, with workers equipped with headlamps and pruning shears navigating the pitch-black darkness to harvest the grapes.

The estate produced some 277,000 litres of red, white, and rose wine in 2025. The decision to adopt nighttime harvests was driven by the increasingly oppressive summer heat in Portugal, which is part of a broader trend of extreme weather in Western Europe.

## Why it matters Western Europe sweltered through its warmest summer this year, while August was the hottest single month ever recorded globally, according to the EU's climate monitor. Climate change is intensifying and lengthening spells of extreme heat and drought across Europe, forcing adaptations in the continent's wine-making south, which includes Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece.

The nighttime harvests have become a vital adaptation for wine producers in Portugal, allowing them to protect their workers from the extreme heat and maintain their wine production. As the effects of climate change continue to be felt, it is likely that more wine producers in the region will adopt similar measures to ensure the sustainability of their operations.