In Madeira, grapes are much more than just a fruit... The vineyards, and of course the wine, are the soul of the Madeiran people, in a history that intertwines with the development and construction of the island itself, practically since its settlement in the 15th century. Did you know that just 25 years after the first settlements began inhabiting the archipelago, Madeira was already exporting the wine it produced? It's a relationship spanning over six centuries! The grape harvest season at the end of summer is the ideal time to celebrate our strong connection to grapes and wine. Would you like to know how we celebrate? It's three weeks of non-stop festivities in various parts of the island, offering a bit of everything: one week dedicated to folklore, musical concerts in different vineyards in the Region, and even a charming Wine Lounge in downtown Funchal. However, this article is about the event with the longest tradition. Roll up your trousers, because we're about to tread some grapes...
Grape Picking and Live Harvest – Câmara de Lobos Harvest Festival
That Saturday morning, we left Funchal at 9.20 a.m., heading towards Estreito de Câmara de Lobos. The Harvest Festival celebrations, part of the Madeira Wine Festival, began at ten o'clock sharp, giving us just enough time to have a coffee at a traditional bar just behind the Church. A strong, unclear buzz composed of hurried footsteps, musical instruments being tuned, and distant traditional singing heralded the hectic and fun morning ahead of us. Coffee taken, we decided to walk up the hill towards the mishmash of people gathered near a property displaying a large grapevine, right in front of Quinta da Pinheira. The morning sun embraced us with its gentle warmth, and as we waited for the estate gates to open, allowing us to take part in the popular grape harvest, we joined in the most iconic folk songs, alongside a lively folklore group. Between 'Primavera das Flores' and several renditions of 'Bailinho da Madeira', more and more people gathered around us, in a perfectly balanced mix of locals and tourists, clearly showing the touristic relevance of this event, which was first held in 1963.
When the gates to Mr. Joaquim Mendes' estate finally opened, hundreds of people rushed towards the vines to pick the famous Estreito de Câmara de Lobos grapes, which would later be taken to the large winepress for the traditional grape treading. But for now, we found ourselves under the vines, without a wicker basket and pruning shears, gathering content for this blog article instead of grapes. Unable to take part in the hard grape harvest tasks, our attention turned to everything happening around us. We quickly realised that not all the grape bunches would make it to the winepress, as some pickers indulged in a hand-to-mouth tasting, in a gesture of communion with the land. Not wanting to miss out, we too felt tempted to taste the small, dark grapes of the Tinta Negra variety, one of Madeira's most prominent... After all, it's important to check the quality of the raw material!
Despite the hundreds of people hunting for grapes, not everyone descended to the vines. Many chose to continue singing, while others found joy in offering small glasses of wine and liqueurs, making early morning toasts to long and happy lives. As we were working, we didn't join in these cheers, but we did make our own toast later with a glass of grape juice.
After the grape picking, we descended to near the Mother Church of Estreito de Câmara de Lobos to watch the Ethnographic Parade. But first, we had our second breakfast of the day, which had started early - it's not every Saturday that we get up at 8 a.m. Our last bite of 'bolo do caco' was taken just as the sound of drums echoed up the street. The lively parade featured around 600 participants representing various folklore groups, parish bands, community centres, and different associations from the Region.
Large floats adorned the parade, celebrating Madeira’s agricultural and cultural traditions, featuring the grape harvest. The steep incline of Rua Cônego Agostinho Figueira Faria had no effect on the participants, who climbed the street with choreographed dancing and singing, with unmatched energy. They were, after all, celebrating one of the most important festivals in the parish and the municipality!
The church clock struck twelve, but we wouldn't leave without witnessing the grape treading, one of the highlights of this festival. The grapes, harvested just hours earlier and a few metres from where we stood, arrived at the giant winepress set up at the end of a street lined with food and drink stalls. The queue to enter the winepress was long, but that didn't stop anyone. Among those waiting for a turn were visitors who had probably never seen a winepress like this before, alongside familiar faces from the parish who take part in these activities every year.
Inside the winepress, grape treading was more of a rhythmic dance, driven by lively songs that turned the effort into a celebration. It was a special moment for which we were again unprepared; otherwise, we would have jumped right into that winepress too. Next year, we’ll be sure to bring our harvest kit with all the necessary tools and accessories. It was nearing one o’clock in the afternoon when we left Estreito de Câmara de Lobos.
The party would continue late into the night and the next day too. As we drove back to Funchal, we replayed the best moments of that morning in our heads and wondered what name we would give to that wine if we had the power. We could only think of beautiful names!
