“Consumers no longer just seek the organic label"

The grape production in Portugal had to endure heavy rainfall, causing the season to be delayed quite a bit, says Martim Cruz, Commercial Manager of Portuguese grape exporter Hey,Vita! "Every season has its challenges. This year was marked by heavy rainfall during the spring, which caused several challenges in the grape production. Despite everything, it was possible to control production and produce a healthy, high-quality product. Our season usually starts in late July. However, since we're dependent on the weather and all natural conditions, due to heavy rain until June, this year the season started on August 5th and will carry on until mid-October if the conditions allow for it."

The Hey,Vita! brand consists of exclusively organic grapes, and is mostly exported to European markets, Cruz explains. "Our production is 100% organic, as this is Hey,Vita!'s focus and because we believe it is an added value for the environment, the product, and the consumer. Our total cultivated area extends to 84 hectares of organic seedless grape vineyards. We export these grapes to the UK, Germany, Nordic countries, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, but we'd love to start exporting to Asian markets as well."

According to Cruz, these days consumer wants more from organic produce than just a label: "Although this is only our third year of production, we've already seen encouraging growth in demand for our Hey Vita Grapes. While the organic certification plays a key role, we believe this increase is primarily driven by the quality, taste, and consistency of our product. Consumers are becoming more selective; they no longer just seek the organic label, but also expect high eating quality, strong varietal character, and reliable supply. This shift in expectations has worked in our favour, and we continue to invest in both agronomic practices and post-harvest care to meet and exceed these standards."

The grapes from Portugal deal with heavy competition from mostly Spain and Italy, Cruz states. "The Spanish and Italian markets are highly competitive, often driven by very aggressive pricing strategies. The only way we can truly compete is by focusing on delivering consistently high-quality grapes, which has been our aim all along."

For more information:
Martim Cruz
Hey,Vita!
Tel: +351 938 040 801
www.heyvita.pt