After a vote every four years, the management of Lavradores de Feitoria – a project that brings together 15 producers, owners of 19 farms spread across the best terroirs of the three sub-regions of the Douro: Baixo Corgo, Cima Corgo and Douro Superior – has just been re-elected. The achievement lies in the fact that this is the third consecutive term and the vote was unanimous.
There are five members of the management of Lavradores de Feitoria: Fernando Albuquerque as Chairman of the Board of Directors; Olga Martins as Chief Executive Officer, a position she holds in addition to that of Commercial Director; and Dirk Niepoort, Eurico Carrapatoso and Paulo Ruão as Directors.
Olga Martins sees this new cycle as “a great challenge”. “In terms of the team, we already know each other very well and there is a strong sense of mutual support, although managing people is not easy; and at Lavradores de Feitoria we have 48 shareholders, 15 of whom own the estates whose grapes “feed” our wines. The wine sector is clearly on the rise, particularly abroad, but it is very competitive and volatile. Unfortunately, there is a lot of “price war” and the Douro cannot sail in that boat, since production costs are quite high”, adds the manager.
It is worth remembering that Lavradores de Feitoria is a unique project in the Douro and in Portugal, founded in September 2000 by the union of producers with different stakes in the company's capital, under a single brand, a single winery and a single oenology team. Thanks to the collective effort of everyone – shareholders and employees –, Lavradores de Feitoria has built a universe that brings together brands and partnerships in a positive project, confirmed by the recognition among the most demanding critics and consumers.
The aim from the outset was to create balanced, elegant wines with ageing potential, based on a declared commitment to the excellence and tradition of the Douro. With a first-class technical team (led by winemaker and administrator Paulo Ruão), Lavradores de Feitoria's management model is innovative, with a strong focus on sustainability.
