Wine starts in the soil: Portugal accelerates transition to regenerative agriculture

The second edition of the Regenerative Wine Fest brought together producers, experts and consumers at Herdade das Servas in Estremoz to debate the future of regenerative viticulture.
Regenerative agriculture is gaining momentum in Portugal, and the wine sector is at the forefront of this transition. Last Saturday, 14 producers who already apply regenerative practices in their vineyards met at Herdade das Servas, in the Alentejo, for the second edition of the Regenerative Wine Fest – an event that promotes the soil as the starting point for a more sustainable and healthy wine.

The meeting, moderated by actress Joana Seixas, brought together voices from various regions and sectors. Francisco Alves, from Herdade de São Luís, warned of the urgent need to preserve the Alentejo cork oak forest: “We lose 7,000 hectares a year. The Iberian Peninsula has the largest cork oak forest in the world, and everyone wants to learn how to graze like we do.”

Marta Cortegano, who leads a syntropic agriculture project in Mértola, advocated the creation of sharing networks between farmers and other agents: ‘Regeneration is gaining traction, but financial support and training are essential to ensure change.’

In the panel on communication, Luís Constantino, from Herdade dos Grous, emphasised the importance of showing the real impact of these practices on the ground: “The doors have to be open. Seeing is understanding.”

The festival ended with a panel on public health and soil, where Ana Luís, a doctor from the IPO, was blunt: ‘Human health begins with soil health.’ An idea reinforced by Paulo Coutinho, a producer in the Douro: ‘We are what we eat, but we are also what we drink.’

The 2025 edition of the Regenerative Wine Fest has established itself as a space for mobilising for a new agricultural paradigm. The next edition already has a date: 16 May 2026, again at Herdade das Servas.