Would irrigation improve Port wine?

[Roy Hersh]

In the Douro, only new plantings are allowed to receive irrigation for a few years. Do you think that having the ability to irrigate vineyards would improve the quality of Port?

[Paul_B]

Hey Roy,

Correct, I think it is just the first 3 or perhaps 4 years of a vine that it even needs water.
The old saying a vine has to suffer to produce good wine... but I guess that was before global warming started to cook the vines like we saw on some years.

Perhaps for table wine, but for port, I don;t see the need to increase production. So if there is a year that's to dry it helps keep Port volumes in check.

Paul

[Eric Ifune]

Irrigation helps young vines establish themselves. They don't have the elaborate root system developed yet. This can be very important in a hot climate, otherwise many new vines will not survive. Irrigation is like any other adjunct. If used properly, it can help quality. If used improperly, it is a detriment.

[Frederick Blais]

Weather is just perfect in the Douro. Climate change or not there was always hot years. In cool years with water, its perfect for wine, in hot years with less water, its perfect for Port. Seems they get the best out of both world. Irrigation is a problem as the water stay in surface, gives no deep root system and this tends to give more energy in growing leaves, less even ripeness in the berries... not good!

[Carlos Rodriguez]

It will improve the production and decrease the quality, with fewer bad years. As well as excellent ones. Will see how producers manage to use it, going for quality or for production. We'll see it.

[Derek T.]

Irrigation = change = bad. Bah Humbug!

[Moses Botbol]

The made it this far without it.

The vintage may not mean as much then. Certainly for volume producers in basic ruby or tawny this would be a benefit and could increase profits.