50 years of tradition made by the hands of our people.
Our story began in 1973, when a group of winegrowers from the upper municipality of Alenquer, in the localities of Cabanas de Chão, Cabanas de Torres, Abrigada, Labrugeira, Penuzinhos and Vila Verde dos Francos, decided to join forces and dreams. They realized that the future of their vineyards and their work would be more solid if built together.
Thus was born the idea of creating a cooperative, a common home capable of giving voice, value, and visibility to the efforts of each winegrower.
In the early years, membership was surprising: from 18 founding members, the cooperative quickly grew to over 300. By 1984, just a decade later, we were already 320 winegrowers united by the purpose of transforming what the land gives us into wines of identity and quality. The activity began humbly, in three small wineries in Labrugeira. But in 1975, during a period of great change for the country, construction began on the current facilities.
It was the beginning of a new stage, marked by growth, modernization, and a commitment to honoring the winemaking tradition of Alenquer. Today, we continue to write this story with pride, keeping alive the spirit of cooperation that was at the origin of the Labrugeira Cooperative Winery.
Nestled between sunny hillsides and the freshness of the Atlantic, Alenquer reveals wines with identity and authenticity.
The high-altitude municipality of Alenquer is a privileged territory, with a unique terroir for the production of exceptionally high-quality wines. This secret is not new: as early as the 13th century, the Portuguese Royal House chose Alenquer wines for its table, recognizing the region's excellence.
Throughout the centuries, various publications from the 17th to the 19th centuries reinforced this reputation, and even Camilo Castelo Branco, in his work A Filha do Regicida (The Regicide's Daughter ), highlighted Labrugeira as an area of great wine merit.
“[…] and going out past the windmills, through the Anunciada valley to Andaluzes, that’s what’s beautiful, especially if a man cast his line at the squinty-eyed man’s tavern and, with two sheep’s hands, finishes off two good gulps of Labrugeira wine. Those are my Sunday strolls.”
The region's terroir results from the perfect combination of three essential factors: climate, soil, and grape varieties. Here, mid-slope vineyards predominate, well-exposed to the sun, planted in clay soils that, although less productive in quantity, offer wines of intense character, firm structure, and above-average alcohol content.
Our vineyards are based on grape varieties of Portuguese origin, which authentically express the strength and uniqueness of these soils. The good sunlight, the many hours of sunshine and, above all, the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, which brings freshness and balance, give Alenquer wines a profile marked by elegance and fruity expression.
More than just wine, we preserve a way of life.
Behind every bottle of wine from the Labrugeira Cooperative Winery lies much more than just the fruit of the land and oenological knowledge: there is the daily effort of hundreds of farmers and their families, who work with dedication and passion throughout the year. Each cared-for vine, each harvested bunch, is part of a collective story made of sacrifice, resilience, and love for the land.
At our winery, the goal is not just profit — it's to ensure the continuity of vine and wine culture in the Upper Municipality of Alenquer, guaranteeing a dignified future for our members, protecting the region's identity, and honoring the generations that came before us.
