For The Love Of Port

The politics of the 2006 Beneficio for the Douro Region:

(translated "loosely" from Portuguese)

An increase of more than 3,500 pipes of wine of Porto - is controversial ...

The Demarcated Region of the Douro goes to transform into Wine of Porto 123,500 pipes in 2006, meaning an increase of 3.500 pipes in relation to the last harvest, announced the IVDP.
The amount of wine to benefit in the next harvest, that if it initiates in September, was defined by the Interprofissional Advice of the Institute of the Wines of the Douro and Porto, composed organism for 12 council members, six representatives of the commerce and equal number of the production. The benefit is the amount of must that each grape grower can destine to the production of Wine of the Port. In 2005, the amount of wine to benefit (must that each grape grower can destine the wine of the Port) was fixed in the 120 a thousand pipes, what it relatively represented a reduction to the previous year (of less 6,000 pipes). In 2004, the attributed benefit was of 126 a thousand pipes, an addition of 18.100 pipes relatively the 2003, height where 107,900 pipes of Wine of the Port had been only benefited, the number lowest of last the ten years.
The production of Wine of the Port, represented for the House of the Douro voted against the official notice of vindima for this year.
Manuel António Santos, president of the House of the Douro, affirmed that, through the vote against, the production wanted “to total make responsible” the IVDP and the Association of Companies Wine of Porto (AEVP) that they had voted in favor of the number of pipes established. For the responsible one, they exist a “set of questions” that have that to be defined, as of the minimum prices of the Wine of the Port. Manuel António Santos considers that the approved benefit could be “beneficial” if, at the end of the year, not to verify excesses of wine in the e region if to allow an ascent of the prices. But, if, for the the opposite, if to verify excesses and a reduction of the prices, this factor will be able to contribute to aggravate it of the crisis in the Demarcated Region of the Douro.

If I understood the article correctly the IVDP approved the following:

2006: 123,500 pipes of port
2005: 120,000
2004: 126,000
2003: 107,900

The second paragraph was a bit tough to translate and understand. Am I correct that last paragraph is saying Mr Santos is holding the IVDP and the AEVP responsible for a large increase in port production. Which may have a benefit that will show there is not to much port being produced which would justify the price increases. However, the opposite may occur that would show too much port is produced that would lead to a reduction in price, thus agrivating the current situation in the Demarcated Region.

If that is the case and looking at the data above, it appears the IVDP has realized there was a shortage in 2003 which lead to higher prices and since 2004 the IVDP is trying to rectify that by allowing an increase in production.

One good way of getting more people to drink port is to lower the price. I hope it works!

Mike.

Not to get too deep here (there are hints at what I am talking about if you read the 2003 cask sample article closely) but due to "issues" in 2002 ... the beneficio for 2003 was small, and certainly smaller than it should have been.