As part of the ‘Bucelas à Prova’ initiative, Quinta da Romeira hosted a play at the Teatro na Adega (Adega Theater) by the theater company Gato Ruim, followed by a wine tasting and regional honey tasting.
The ‘Bucelas à Prova’ is promoted by the municipality of Loures and presents several proposals throughout the year ranging from wine tastings, concerts, poetry, theater, talks, tastings and presentation of endogenous products. The events have taken place in several municipal locations such as the Museu Municipal de Loures (Museum), the Museu de Cerâmica de Sacavém (Mueum), the Biblioteca Municipal José Saramago (Library) and the various wineries in the region.
At the Quinta da Romeira Winery, more than 70 people attended the event, which began by attending a performance by the Companhia de Teatro-Circo Gato Ruim, located in Loures, where there is a circus arts school for children and young people and, according to the municipality “uses theater, dance, circus arts and music by fusing them into spectacles where fantasy the main focus and what is unlikely happens.”
Already in the test room, Florbela Baptista began by proving very satisfied “with the success of this initiative, together with the wine producers of Bucelas, the Confraria do Arinto de Bucelas and the parish council of Bucelas”.
According to the deputy vice-president in the municipality of Loures, “our goal is to make known the best that we have, namely our Arinto wine, our farms, our wineries, but also our cultural offer. We have quality products in the county apart from wine, as is bread, queijo saloio (regional cheese) and now the ‘MELOURES’ “.
About the work of the Cooperativa Agrícola de Loures (Agricultural Cooperative of Loures) – CAL, the head of the municipality added that “over the years it has boosted all the know-how of the saloia region that makes us proud and that has its own and authentic identity. This is what we try to preserve and maintain with these initiatives that are proof of this. What we want to show to those who visit us is the potential that Loures has in its territory through wine, endogenous products, culture, art, music”.
The Quinta da Romeira
From Sogrape – Quinta da Romeira – was stated the high quality of the caste of Bucelas, the Arinto and described the location of the farm “in a unique and demarcated region of Portugal in what white wines refers to and also with one of the best castes of Portugal and the second most cultivated in the country. ”
About the wine in evidence, the ‘Prova Régia’ that has existed for 25 years is a reference to the level of Arinto from Bucelas. It is an ambassador and one of the best-selling wines and considered by some specialists as one of the best whites in Portugal. The ‘Régia’ is a very fresh and high quality wine. It is a very balanced wine which extends in terms of flavors, in the mouth, on the palate and with an exceptional aroma.
Regarding Sogrape’s recent acquisition of Quinta da Romeira and citing Sogrape CEO Fernando da Cunha Guedes in a press release, “entering Lisbon was, for Sogrape, mandatory. And doing so through the Bucelas sub-region is, for us, a huge cause for joy and pride but also for great responsibility. (…) It is a very special region that enables this denomination of origin and this remarkable caste. ”
MELOURES, the Honey of Loures
Following, Marlene Marques, the technician from the Municipality of Loures and Luís Batista, coordinator of the CAL’s apiculture section praised the several years of work in the identification of the beekeepers of the region. “We realized that it was really an economic activity that can be very interesting and that goes very well with the excellent wine that we have here in the region, the Arinto. After some contacts with local partners that could boost the work of small honey producers, the idea of supporting small farmers under the principle of the business creation, so that the beekeepers can gain some scale to increase their honey produce “said the technique of the municipality.
According to a note from the municipality, CAL has been operating its business since 1948 as part of the services related to agriculture enhancing the knowledge and characteristics of the saloia region (Loures Region).
The beekeeping section of the Agricultural Cooperative of Loures – CAL was created in 2015 to meet the needs of its associated beekeepers and provides assistance from production to the commercialization of honey.
In 2018 a collaboration protocol was signed between the municipality and the CAL, to reinforce the dynamism of sustainable beekeeping in the territory of Loures. The ‘MELOURES’ brand was born, the multiflora honey of high quality, extreme flavour and 100% Portuguese.
Regarding future projects CAL will continue to focus on the ‘MELOURES’ brand, supplying selected queen bees for hives throughout the country, also creating an olive oil mill for small producers and enhancing the organic production for its stores.
The ‘Bucelas à Prova’ initiative program has events scheduled for the end of this year.