Churchill’s opens the doors of Quinta da Gricha for traditional grape harvesting

30/08/2025Churchill's will once again welcome visitors to Quinta da Gricha, in Ervedosa do Douro, São João da Pesqueira, for a traditional grape harvesting experience that takes place on Wednesdays and Saturdays during the first three weeks of September.

The Gricha Harvest Experience invites participants to experience, for a day, the wine-making traditions of the Douro, from hand-picking the grapes to treading them in granite wine presses dating from 1852, as well as wine tasting and a typical regional lunch.
Throughout the day, visitors have the opportunity to accompany Churchill’s viticulture team as they harvest the grapes, with a break for a rustic meal at Cozinha dos Caseiros. The programme also includes a guided tasting of four wines — two Vintage Ports and two aged Tawnies — which explore the contrast between bottle and barrel ageing.
One of the most eagerly awaited moments is the treading of the grapes in the historic granite wine presses at Quinta da Gricha, a practice that the house keeps alive out of conviction. ‘We are one of the few Port wine houses that continues to tread all its grapes by foot. We deeply believe that this ancestral method is essential to producing wines of exceptional quality and, by keeping it alive, we feel that we are also giving back to the communities and identity of this region,’ emphasises Ricardo Pinto Nunes, winemaker and Production Director at Churchill’s.
After the physical exertion, participants are welcomed to the Pátio das Laranjeiras for a regional lunch paired with the brand’s wines, while enjoying the view over part of the 40 hectares of the estate. Each visitor also receives a harvest kit, which includes the official t-shirt for the event.
The full experience costs €185 per person, while the half-day version, which includes grape picking, treading and lunch, is available for €95. The scheduled dates are 3, 6, 10, 13, 17 and 20 September.
Reservations can be made at drinkchurchills.com