BACALHôA VINHOS DE PORTUGAL

Bacalhôa Wines of Portugal, founded in 1922, initially held the name João Pires & Filhos. The company has come a long way in becoming one of the leading wine producers in Portugal. In the beginning the company started with the vinification of grapes from the Palmela Region. During the seventies, invested heavily in viticulture and advanced winemaking techniques, thus becoming a model company for the production of high quality Portuguese wines. In 1998, Comendador Berardo became a major shareho... lder and continued to uphold the company’s mission of excellence. New vineyards were planted, investments were made to update the wineries, new estates were acquired such as Quinta do Carmo in Estremoz. In 2007 Bacalhôa became the major shareholder at Aliança, one of the most prestigious producers of high quality Sparkling Wines, Wine Spirits as well as table wines in Portugal. The company has now wineries in the main portuguese wine regions: Douro, Dão, Bairrada, Península de Setúbal, Lisboa and Alentejo. Of significant note – and as part of the company’s rich historical heritage spanning eight decades – are the Renaissance Palace of Quinta da Bacalhoa, the mansion and estate in Loridos, which has the largest Oriental Garden in Europe, (open to the public every day), and an outstanding collection of antique Portuguese tiles. The winetourism project “Wine, Art and Passion” has been established at the wineries. Visitors are invited on a tour from Vine to Wine, which encompasses both tradition and modernity in wine-making and includes art exhibitions: paintings, tile collections, sculptures and millenary olive trees from the dam at Alqueva. With a production capacity of 20 million litres, an ageing potential of 15000 barrels, and some 1000 hectares of vineyards, Bacalhôa continues in its drive to lead the industry in the cultivation and creation of new wines, whilst offering its consumers unique and innovative products of consistent and superior quality.More