Vila Galé opens new olive press in Alentejo

VILA GALÉ HAS JUST BROUGHT OUT A NEW AGRICULTURAL AND OLIVE OIL TOURISM EXPERIENCE AT THE RURAL HOTEL VILA GALÉ CLUBE DE CAMPO

On Saturday, the hotel group, which also develops an agricultural activity with the company Santa Vitória, opened an olive mill in the property where this hotel is located and thus reinforced its position in the sector where it has operated since 2002.

The Santa Vitória olive grove currently stretches for around 200 hectares and the olive varieties include Galega, Cobrançosa, Cordovil, Picual, Arbequina and Arbosana. This results in high-quality extra virgin olive oil, marketed under the Santa Vitória brand in Vila Galé hotels, in large supermarkets and in specialized stores.

Entre as principais características do Lagar destacam-se:

• The olive reception yard, with a cleaning and washing line that can process 50 tonnes per hour;
• The extraction room, with an equipment that can grind up to 10 tons of olives per hour;
• The deposit room, which features 35 circular tanks with capacities between 5,000 and 30,000 liters;
• The bottling, capping and labeling line, with a capacity for 1,200 bottles per hour.

Besides modern technology and innovation, good environmental practices and sustainability are also matters of concern for Santa Vitória. For instance, in this press, the olive pits that result from the production are used as fuel to the water heating boiler. Wastewater, on the other hand, is sent to settling tanks and is later used for agricultural use.

NEW EXPERIENCES AVAILABLE AT VILA GALÉ CLUBE DE CAMPO

The new olive press, which results from an investment of 3.5 million Euros, now offers daily guided tours to guests and to the general public. On those tours, you can learn more about the several production stages or discover what distinguishes the different types of olive oil. It features a tasting room and a show cooking area that can welcome for groups, business events and gastronomic demonstrations.

The rural hotel Vila Galé Clube de Campo therefore has a unique concept. Visitors and guests can also visit the Santa Vitória Wine Cellar and take part in tastings, as well as enjoy some outdoor activities such as horse riding, bird watching or hiking across the estate.

Here are the photos of the opening: