Cooperativa L'Olivera

From a long history of commitment to social causes, the L´Olivera Cooperativa winery has been able to craft wines that are a pure expression of their distinctive micro-terroirs, from many different grape varietals.

The L´Olivera Cooperativa winery was founded in 1974 in the municipality of Vallbona de Les Monges with vineyards that were naturally protected by olive trees. This winery had great success upon its onset and they were able to successfully unite together local farmers working with this cooperative winery. 

The L´Olivera Cooperativa winery was not just interested in accumulating large masses of grapes, but rather they sought quality and equity. By this means the winery worked with the vineyards to establish fare production quotas while closely observing vinification practices and requiring the organic cultivation of all of the grapes at all of the vineyards in the cooperative. For this reason all of the wines by the L´Olivera Cooperativa winery are certified organic wines. Furthermore, the L´Olivera Cooperativa winery also works for social causes. One of these social causes works to help the mentally disabled. By this means there are a certain number of positions at this winery which are reserved for mentality disabled workers and these employees have the opportunity to earn a full-time position over time.

In 1989 this cooperative decided to build its own Celler (winery) to produce their own wines from their conglomerated grape yields. By this means the winery could better control the quality of their end resulting grape wines, as well as how these wines would be marketed. Currently, the L´Olivera Cooperativa winery has about 20 hectares of its own grapevines spread throughout the Costers del Segre DO. These grapevines are spread out between small vineyards, none of which are bigger than one and a half hectares. These are trellised grapevines which are situated on sloping hillsides that hare dry clay filled soils that are very good at retaining water. The largest vineyard of this cooperative is La Plana, which is still spread out among individual parcels of land that are separated by the beautiful blue pottery of the XVII to XVIII century monk monastery, Vallbona Cistercian. The color from this blue potter is represented on the labels, corks, and bottles of some of the wine vintages that this winery produces.

All of these vineyards are situated between 1,475 and 2,300 feet (450 and 700 meters) of altitude in an arid Mediterranean climate. This winery cultivated Macabeo, Parellada, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Moscat, and Viognier grapes for their organic white wines. After 20 years of only crafting organic white wine this winery produced their first red wine, “Primers Vins Negres” which name literally means First Red Wine. After this the L´Olivera Cooperativa winery began crafting Naltres, which was the first red wine that they produced from their Naleg vineyards. L´Olivera also crafts a Grand Reserve cava from a base of Macabeo, Parellada, and Chardonnay. This Grand Reserve cava is aged for 4 months in oak and then crianza aged for 36 months.

• Founded in: 1974
• Address of Winery: La Plana, s/n
• City: Vallbona de les Monges
• Province: Lleida
• Postal Code: 25268
• Country: Spain
• Phone Number: (+34) 973 330 276 
• www.olivera.org
• Does this winery offer guided tours? Yes
• Does this winery offer tourist services?  No