The Winery History
The History of the Vidigueira, Cuba and Alvito Winemaking Cooperative
The Vidigueira, Cuba and Alvito Winemaking Cooperative was founded in 1960, but its chronology goes far beyond its 60 years of existence. It was created to protect the vineyards, the wine and the millennial lifestyle of this wine sub-region and to bring even more renown and quality to the wine produced here.
Over the years, an intense effort has been made to protect the grape varieties and the production techniques, so that, in the Winery’s wine heritage, indigenous grape varieties have been discovered, perfected from generation to generation, among which Antão Vaz stands out. This grape variety, recognised as the grape variety of Vidigueira and the Winery’s inspirational muse, gives rise to an exceptional white wine whose fame has earned it the title « Alentejo’s White Wine».
With an approximate production of 4.7 million bottles of wine per year and 8 million kilos of grapes per harvest, resulting from the exploration of around 1,500 hectares of vineyard by its around 300 partners, today it is a modern and prominent winery. Never forgetting its origins, it projects itself into the future supported by the people and the quality of the terroir of the wine sub-region.
Message from the Board of Directors
In January 2012 we started our journey as the people responsible for the destiny of Adega Cooperativa de Vidigueira, Cuba e Alvito, CRL. (Vidigueira, Cuba and Alvito Winemaking Cooperative)
The contextual environment of the industry did not, and still does not, leave us any margin for market approaches other than that of continuous improvement in all areas, for the presentation of highly competitive products with significant added value.
We chose to embrace, with full commitment, the largest investment project in the Winery’s history. These reasons were at the heart of this operation: to make a material investment with a direct impact on the quantitative increase, but above all on the qualitative improvement of our wines…
But wine is much more than that… wine is history. Therefore, we have developed a new communication concept for our brands, focusing efforts on transmitting the message of a story around our wines, increasing awareness and recognition for the value of the Brand.
But wine is also Art and Culture! So let’s make a toast to the Choir Group of the Vidigueira, Cuba and Alvito Winemaking Cooperative, a unique and singular initiative of which we are proud, and in which we place enormous expectations.
To all those who want to share this journey with us, we extend an Invitation!
The Board of Directors
José Miguel Almeida (Chairman)
Renato Ramalho
Ricardo Oliveira
Quality And Food Safety Policy
The continuation and consolidation of the success of Vidigueira Winemaking Cooperative depends heavily on the ability to supply products with high quality standards.
By defining the quality and food safety policy, the Vidigueira Winemaking Cooperative intends:
- To consolidate and promote the continuous improvement of the implemented Quality and Food Safety Management System, respecting the legislation in force for the industry, and the regulatory requirements.
- To meet the needs and expectations of customers and stakeholders, operating in accordance with the implemented Quality and Food Safety Management System.
- To invest in Technological innovation.
- To invest in the optimisation of production processes.
- To diversify brands and products.
- To reinforce its contribution to the socio-economic development of the region.
- To encourage good performance and perseverance of employees.
- To establish appropriate communication with stakeholders to ensure incident management, and thus contribute to consumer food safety.
Knowing that Quality and Food Safety are the only way forward in the manufacture of food products, the Vidigueira Winemaking Cooperative is proud to promote the satisfaction and demands of its customers and the consumers of its products.
Quality And Food Safety Purposes
- Renewal of Certification by NP EN ISO 9001:2015; transition to NP EN ISO 22000:2018; Certification IFS – International Featured Standards.
- Bringing to the market products that are safe for the consumer through compliance with HACCP and PPRO Plans.
- Respond effectively to emergency situations.
- Ensure the traceability of products to ensure their withdrawal from the market, if necessary.
- Establish communication channels with customers, suppliers, official bodies and other stakeholders.
- Maintain the level of customer satisfaction.
- Updated Wine Register.
- Implementation and value the implementation of sustainable practices from the vineyard to the winery.
- Continued implementation of Marketing strategies.
- Optimisation of the Production Process.
- Boosting the Wine Tourism Service.
- Strengthen the “Vidigueira” brand.
- Minimise impacts from external biological threats.
- Health and Safety of employees.
- Protection against Terrorism.
Research and Development
We believe that competitiveness is achieved through a constant search for development in various areas: productive, technical, operational and human.
We believe that, always based on the training and commitment of the resources that make up «our house», it is possible to improve in a constant challenge to ourselves.
That is why in May 2012 we laid the foundation stone of a development that is helping to increase our competitiveness: our new industrial infrastructure.