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| Mostly the local wine growers themselves pick and collect the grapes for delivery to the producers. Many of the families invite their extended family to help in the picking and the harvest. It is mostly a huge social affair after the rush of getting the grapes out and pressed. |
The frantic activity is usually begun towards the middle of August and continued to mid-September for the hotter regions on Madeira, that is the lower coastal areas and the southern part of the island. Harvesting continues towards mid-October and even into November for the rest of the regions, that is the higher altitudes and the Northern parts of the island.
The exception to this is Porto Santo. Grapes start being picked already before the Monte Festival during July. The last of the cultivars to be picked is the late-ripening Sercial variety found up to 2000 metres above sea level.
