The Adega Cooperativa de Ponte da Barca e Arcos de Valdevez marked 50 years of activity on January 19, honoring its members with the launch of the ‘Reserva de Sócios Loureiro 2017’ wine.
The ceremony took place in the Tourist Shop of Ponte da Barca, which was small to welcome the approximately 180 guests and associates. They addressed several individuals and presented the company’s new corporate identity and strategic repositioning. The event ended with the launch of the Vinho Verde Branco Reserva de Sócios Loureiro 2017, the first winery wine in this premium category, aging in oak casks.
The Adega de Ponte da Barca e Arcos de Valdevez has been caring for decades for a unique wine and cultural heritage, located in a unique territory, crossed by the rivers Lima, Vade and Vez, right in the heart of the Região dos Vinhos Verdes. Being faithful to the principle “A Origem Conta” (The Origin Matters), over the last year a unique and commemorating wine was prepared, celebrating 50 years of operation, to honor the approximately 1000 members: small wine growers from Minho.
According to the winemaker José Oliveira “this is a unique wine, a winter white, able to accompany the most intense and tasty dishes of our gastronomy, such as a sarrabulho (a stew made of curdled blood of a pig) or a lamprey. It has a distinct aromatic complexity thanks to the French oak barrels, greasiness and enviable persistence, not being too alcoholic, with close to 13 degrees”.
The ceremony was attended by numerous individuals, including the mayors of Ponte da Barca, Arcos de Valdevez and Braga, as well as Manuel Pinheiro, president of the Comissão de Viticultura da Região dos Vinhos Verdes (CVRVV), who praised the ” strategic vision of this winery that is rare in the sector”, predicting a promising prospective for its future, reminding that ” this land where we are at – Ponte da Barca and Arcos de Valdevez – is where the first Vinhos Verdes (green, young wines) were exported to the world. ”
The Mayor of Ponte da Barca City Coucil – Augusto Marinho – stressed “the professionalism and dedication I have found among the Adega’s technicians, which is the largest private company in the county, referring to the strategic importance of the construction of the new wine cellar, for which the City Council is very committed.
The mayor of Arcos de Valdevez City Council – João Manuel Esteves – mentioned the importance of wine in this region “from where the first Portuguese wine exports were made in the thirteenth century” and the importance of wine tourism in the development of the interior region, as a strategic sector and where the winery should be positioned.
The president of the Cooperativa – Amândio Lago – thanked all the members who “entrusted their grapes to the Cellar for so many years and with such dedication”, having graced the four members who delivered their grapes more than 50 years ago. Two employees who have been in the company for more than 40 years were also honored.
