There is one month a year when the whole of the Minho smells of grapes. The grape harvest in the Minho, the vindima, is the high point of the rural calendar: the vineyards fill with people, tractors cross the lanes stacked with crates, and the work always ends around a table. The date shifts with each year’s weather, and anyone planning a trip needs to know when it is and where they can take part.
Casa do Xico is in Guardizela, about 15 minutes from Guimaraes, inside an 18th-century wine estate at the heart of the Vinho Verde region. It makes a good base for this season: to book a harvest at one of the estates that run them, to visit the region’s cellars, or simply to sleep surrounded by vines while the whole region is picking.
When the grape harvest happens in the Minho
In the Vinho Verde region the harvest runs from late August to early October. There is no fixed date: it shifts every year with the weather, and each estate decides when to start based on the state of its own grapes. The gap between one year and the next can be two weeks.
Roughly how it spreads out:
- Sparkling wine grapes and early varieties: picked first, still in August.
- The bulk of the harvest: late August to mid-September.
- Late varieties and higher vineyards: can run into early October.
The 2026 harvest
This year the Vinho Verde demarcated region announced an early harvest, with the general start in the week of 24 August, and forecast production around 6% above the previous campaign, close to 106 million litres. Official campaign figures are published by the Vinho Verde wine commission.
A practical rule if you want to visit: confirm the date directly with the estate a few days beforehand. It is the only calendar that counts.
What makes the Minho harvest different
The Minho looks like no other Portuguese wine region. Land here is divided into very small plots, and for centuries the vines were trained high, along the edges of fields and up into trees, to leave the ground free for other crops. Hence the pergolas and trellises that still shape the landscape.
That has a practical consequence: picking is done by hand, bunch by bunch, often from a ladder. It is group work, shared between families and neighbours, and it is why the vindima in the Minho is still as much a celebration as a job. It invariably ends at the table, with caldo verde, roast meat and last year’s wine.
Where to join a harvest near Guimaraes
Several estates in the region open harvest programmes at this time of year, usually with morning picking, a cellar visit and a tasting. Where to start looking:
- Guimaraes and around. The Guimaraes tourist board lists the estates in the municipality that welcome visitors in its wine tourism guide. It is the closest starting point to Casa do Xico.
- Moncao and Melgaco, about an hour and a half away, the home of Alvarinho. The Alvarinho wine route brings together several harvest experiences open to the public between August and September.
- The rest of the Vinho Verde region. The official route lists estates that welcome visitors, from Amarante to the coast.
Programmes vary a lot: some offer only a morning in the vineyard, others a full day with lunch and a guided tasting. Two pieces of advice: book early, because places are few and the window is short, and confirm the date a few days before, because the harvest depends on the grapes.
If your trip falls outside the picking season, tastings and estate visits run all year. We wrote about that in our guide to wine tourism in Minho.
Staying on a wine estate during the harvest
Casa do Xico is a rural house inside an 18th-century wine estate in Guardizela. At this time of year, staying here means waking up with the vineyard outside your window and the countryside busy all around. It also has a practical advantage: picking starts early and finishes by mid-afternoon, and anyone who spends the day harvesting comes back wanting quiet, a kitchen and a pool. The rest of the day is free for Guimaraes, for the region’s cellars, or for doing absolutely nothing.
The house is rented whole, for your group only:
- A full house for up to 6 people, with 2 suites and a fully equipped kitchen.
- A saltwater pool, still very good on warm September days.
- A garden and an organic vegetable garden.
- The quiet of the countryside, 15 minutes from Guimaraes and 30 from Porto.
What else to do in September
For many people September is the best month to discover the Minho: the days are still warm, the nights have cooled, and there are far fewer people than in August.
| From Guardizela | By road |
|---|---|
| Guimaraes | about 15 minutes |
| Braga | about 30 minutes |
| Porto | about 30 minutes |
| Porto airport (Sá Carneiro) | about 30 minutes |
| Geres | about 1 hour |
- Wander through the historic centre of Guimaraes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See our complete Guimaraes guide.
- Catch the last afternoons by the water: in September the river beaches near Guimaraes and Braga are still good, and almost empty.
- Taste the region’s cooking, which enters its best season now.
- Stay longer with our getaway between Guimaraes, Braga and Porto.
Tips for planning your harvest trip
- Book your accommodation early: September is one of the busiest months in the Minho.
- Confirm the picking date with the estate a few days before you travel.
- Bring comfortable clothes, closed shoes and a hat. Morning is the best time to pick.
- If you are going to taste wine, agree in advance on who drives.
- Warm days, cool nights: bring a jumper.
Frequently asked questions
Between late August and early October. In 2026 the Vinho Verde wine commission set the general start for the week of 24 August, about a week earlier than in 2025. The date changes every year and each estate decides according to the state of its grapes.
Yes. Several estates in the region open harvest programmes at this time of year, usually with morning picking, a cellar visit and a tasting. Places are few and the window is short, so book early and confirm the date a few days beforehand.
Casa do Xico is a rural house inside an 18th-century wine estate in Guardizela, but it does not run harvest experiences for guests. To pick grapes, book a harvest programme at one of the region’s estates that offer them, and use the house as your base.
Yes, probably the best month. The days are still warm, the nights have cooled, there are far fewer people than in August, and the countryside is at its busiest with the harvest.
Book your stay for the harvest season
September in the Minho gives you summer days without the August crowds, and the countryside at its liveliest. Secure your dates at Casa do Xico and stay inside an 18th-century wine estate, 15 minutes from Guimaraes. Book your stay here.