This cooperative was founded in 1951 to produce olive. It included a fleet of equipment and also worked as a mutual livestock insurance association. Years later, wine production began and for a time it produced a renowned fig brandy.
In the late 1980s the co-op reached the peak of success when it won the World Champion Award in the former Yugoslavia. Changes in the wine market at the beginning of this century brought new challenges that the cooperative found it hard to adapt to, such as new fiscal demands, particularly in regards to technological and commercial issues. New management in 2007 began to turn the institution around. Human resources were reorganised and a quest for quality began. This led to a five-fold increase in turnover in 2009.
Cooperativa Agrícola de Granja is located on the left bank of the Guadiana River and borders largely upon the Alqueva reservoir. Due to its inland location, this is one of the most protected areas of the Alentejo landscape. That is how it is able to maintain cultural and agricultural traditions that have disappeared from other regions.
One of the grape growing characteristics is the existence of a great number of ungrafted vines that predate the phylloxera blight. Wines made from these vines, namely those made from old Moreto grapes, are distinct from all the other Alentejo wines and deserve special attention from wine lovers and professionals alike.
Technologically speaking, a curiosity is that wine is still produced in amphorae (clay pots), according to the traditional vinification process introduced by the Romans as early as the second century. The cooperative can organise visits to the small wineries that still produce wine in amphorae. This fascinating experience will take you back 20 centuries in time.
 |
Share |
 |
 |
