Project · Updated October 2, 2025
The Vineyard in Lara
A year of work in our family vineyard in Lara, Monção—from winter pruning and spring growth to the communal vindima.
Winter work
Pruning and clearing old vines is one of the many processes of winemaking.
Here we can see my uncle working on our family’s vine in the northwest of Portugal, a region known for its fresh, light and fruity wine, Vinho Verde (young wine).
Waking for spring
Roughly a month and a half after pruning, the vineyard begins to sprout. We take advantage of the wet months to nourish the soil with fertilizer.
Before fertilizing, we need to clear away the dried winter weeds from the base of each vine. It may seem like a simple task, but repeating it across hundreds of vines wears on the body. Most of the vineyard work is spread through the week and weekends, done slowly after regular work hours.
This is how the vineyard wakes up for spring.
Vindima
On a cold, foggy September morning, the event everyone has been working and waiting for finally arrives.
The harvest—vindima—brings family, friends and neighbours together to pick the ripened grapes ready for wine. Each grape carries months of sun, rain and patient cultivation, now ready to begin its journey from vineyard to cellar.
A good harvest means picking carefully. Harvesters check every cluster, removing grapes that are damaged, diseased or not ready. Since the cooperative will reject a whole 500 kg bin over some bad grapes, this detailed selection is essential for vindima to succeed.
Traditional roles still define vindima. Men handle the bins, distributing empties throughout the rows and collecting the full ones, which can weigh up to 50 kg. Women and younger workers stay in the vines, doing the careful work of selecting and picking grapes. Each role depends on the other to keep the harvest moving efficiently.