Description

The history of Vinhos Damasceno begins in 1870 in the town of Poceirão, Palmela with the birth of Domingos Damasceno de Carvalho, who would later name the wines.

In 2013, the first harvest of bottled wine under the IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) and DO (Name of Origin Denomination) labels takes place, under the Damasceno brand, following the capital injection by the project’s promoter, Financipe.

Currently, the company operates in their three properties with 25 hectares of vineyards between Palmela and Pegões, in the region of the Setúbal Peninsula. 2021 will be an important year as the company will start exploring another 20 hectares, to acquire them on a lease basis, in order to increase grape production for the production of common wines and, consequently, increase its turnover.

All production is done in an integrated production regime, based on good agricultural practices and the rational management of natural resources.

This is the promoters second campaign with Goparity, having previously raised 25.000€ through a treasury loan. 

The company produces about 300 tons of grape in the 23 hectares it currently explores. Of these, only 20% is used for its own production, with the surplus grapes being sold to other wine producers, the most relevant being Casa Ermelinda Freitas.

2021 will be an important year for the company as it will start cultivating an additional 45 hectares, which it will lease, and which will start producing vines for common wine within three years, ultimately significantly increasing the company’s business. 

The promoter will hence go from 23 to 68 hectares of land explored, with 18 hectares reconverted in April 2022, and which will start producing three years following the replacement of the vineyards, the cost of which is fully supported by the promoter. 

The remaining 50 hectares are already producing vines and Vinhos Damasceno’s first harvest will take place next year. This project has an overall investment of 300.000€. 

The Impact

Direct:

• Sustainable Production:
  • With the increase from 23 to 68 hectares, the entire production is made using an integrated production regime, meaning that the agricultural production system is based on good agricultural practices, with rational management of natural resources and giving preference to the use of naturally regulating mechanisms in the replacement of factors of production, thus contributing to a a sustainable production. Certis is responsible for the anual audit and the issuance of the certificate. 
  • Only products which have been approved/certified as complying with the standards imposed by the Ministry of Agriculture are used.
  • Preservation and improvement of soil fertility and biodiversity through the use of humidity control sensors to minimise water consumption and avoid water stress of vineyards.
• Gender equality promotion: 70% of the labour force is composed of women and the single administrator is female.

Indirect:

• Promotion of sustainable employment: this is an activity with a strong seasonal component, during periods with lower work volume, the promoter stimulates the vocational training of his collaborators with agricultural management, handling and application of products, organic production, etc.
• Local development: the managing team has two people, along with five other colleagues who are part of the field team and have been working with the family for 30 years. Although they work for the company, they are also part of a company in the region which also has vineyards and whose production is destined to the Pegões winery. This way, the resources are divided to obtain better synergies and results. Additionally, they have a “ranch”, the group of people who are employed to conducted the manual pruning and harvest of the vineyards.

Impact Indicators

34

Hectares for biodiversity

Contribution to the Sustainable
Development Goals

Sustainable Development Goals

Financial viability

Download Key Investment Information Sheet

Guarantees

Equipment Pledge.

The Promoter

Business Model

Updates