History

Borba is a very old settlement, dating back to the era of the Roman occupation (1st/2nd Century AD.)

Built by order of D. Dinis, the main purpose of the castle of Borba was to protect the borders with Castela, thus reinforcing the treaty of Alcanices (1297) after the victory of D. Alfonso II of Portugal over the Moors in 1217.
Immediately after the conquest Borba was handed over to the Military Order of Aviz. On July 15th 1302 D. Diniz granted it its first charter, constituting Borba as a municipality, liberating it from the municipality of Estremoz.

Winegrowing in the region dates back to the Roman era. It was a complementary activity to the diversified agriculture of the region throughout the Middle Age.

Nonetheless, at the end of the seventeenth century winegrowing became the main agricultural activity of the region having been responsible for a period of great development and wealth for the region. From this moment on wines from Borba started to stand out among other wines form the Alentejo and throughout the country thanks to their high quality. During that period high prices were paid for Borba wines.

Borba’s prosperity during the seventeenth century is entirely related to wine. It even caused a significant illuminist movement, visible even today in the architecture of many manor houses. It was during this period that the treaty of Methuem allowed the tax free export of wines to England, making Portuguese wine quite more competitive than French wine, thus stimulating the production in various regions, including Borba.

Halfway the nineteenth century the production of wine, up until then produced in earthen vessels, was awaken by a technological breakthrough as a result of the Industrial Revolution. Rectangular stone vessels, presses and other winery equipment appeared in certain family-owned wineries. The palaces once owned by these families still represent an important architectonic legacy of the city of Borba.

At the end of the nineteenth century phylloxera destroyed a great part of the vines. Many parts of the destroyed land were cultivated with olive groves. At the beginning of the twentieth century new grape varieties were planted, using the technique of grafting. Wine production was then reborn.

The Adega de Borba was founded in 1955 by a group of dynamic winegrowers. Their main goals were to bring the wine to the consumers, increase the profit margins and optimise the production.