Wine and Culture: A Timeless Connection

Wine has been part of European culture and our way of life for centuries. Wine is about sharing and socialising and is present in many European rituals and traditions, from Catholic mass to celebrations. It is part of our culture. It has been and is celebrated by poets, musicians and painters. It is an essential component of our community interactions and traditions. Wine reflects the specific nature of each territory, conveys a history, contributes to cultural diversity, reminds us of our roots and origins and strengthens our sense of belonging and regional identity.
The European Union is the world’s largest wine producer, consumer and exporter. The EU’s winemaking policy is reflected in considerable financial support and rules governing, for example, product definitions, winemaking practices, vineyard planting authorisation regimes, labelling and presentation and geographical designations.

Portugal has made enormous progress in terms of the quality of the wines it produces. Today, we are the world’s 10th largest wine producer. It is worth noting that in the EU we rank 5th in terms of vineyard area.

In the last harvest we produced 7.5 million hectolitres, using a total production area of 177,954 hectares. In Portugal, wine production generated just under 2.3 billion Euros in economic activity. In 2023, exports of Portuguese wines totalled 928 million Euros, which represented 41.3% of the total value of direct wine production. Portuguese wine exports accounted for 71.6% of exports in the drinks sector and 1.5% of total Portuguese exports.

The wine sector is decisive for our territorial cohesion, for strengthening the appeal of the territory, for promoting gastronomy and for boosting tourism.

At the moment, Portugal is an international benchmark in terms of quality in the wine sector. The Wines of Portugal are characterised by their authenticity, which is reflected in their connection to the territory, the local culture and its people and the knowledge of the winemaker. Portugal is also the country with the greatest variety of native grape varieties, which sets our wines apart.

The challenges for EU wine producers are huge. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the sector hard, as did inflation and lower consumer incomes. The attack by some fundamentalist currents in the health sector on wine, overlooking other alcoholic beverages, is leading to a change in consumer preferences. The challenge of climate change, and in particular drought, are other challenges facing producers. Research, innovation, added brand value and strong promotion are essential allies if we are to overcome these challenges.