(ThePortugalNews) - The Douro valley grape harvest is about a week to 10 days late this year due to the cold spring that delayed the vine growth, but production is expected to be slightly up, growers said.

“Rain could still cause a problem and delay things even more”, Rui Soares, from the Real Companhia Velha (RCV) told Lusa News Agency.

 The agricultural engineers said that RCV expects to start picking white grapes at the end of this week and some red grapes in the hotter and earlier zones in the Upper Corgo next week.

 The Quinta de Ervamoira, belonging to Ramos Pinto, located in the Upper Douro, is where the first grapes are normally picked, as it is in the hottest area. Wine specialist Teresa Ameztoy told reporters that the whites are about two weeks late this year and the reds should start to be harvested next week.

 Nearby, another specialist, Eduardo Ferreira, who works for Quinta da Sequeira (Vila Nova de Foz Côa) and Quinta Vale da Aldeia (Meda), said they were preparing to harvest the grapes for the sparkling wines.

 Ferreira said what was important now was that it did not rain, as this could delay the maturing process, particularly of the red grapes. “Here we are just going to start picking red grapes in October”, he said.

 Local forecasts put production at between 233,000 and 235,000 550-litre casks of Douro wine, a bit more than last year’s 218,000.