Since very old times that in Pinhel, and its term, the culture of the vine was practiced and wines of high quality were produced; in the early 1500s, King D. Manuel I, Venturoso, granted several perks and privileges in favor of Pinhel wines. In 1942 and 1943, there were abundant harvests and there was no outlet for production, it was then that the National Wine Board, recently created, as an Economic Coordination body, which came to replace the former Federation of Winemakers in the Center and South of Portugal, installed in Pinhel a mobile distillation boiler, powered by a locomobile generator, in which millions of liters of wine were distilled and which came to solve the very serious crisis, which affected the farmers of the Region, who lived exclusively on the income of the wine. Of all the Corporate Bodies, created by the Estado Novo, the National Wine Board, was the most beloved, for the benefits it brought to the entire wine region, that is why the winemakers placed all the hopeful confidence that the body, when necessary,       The wines in this area were so good that the wine spirits resulting from the distillation were of the finest quality. When transported to the warehouses of Mealhada they were not mixed with others from other areas, remaining in separate warehouses.           In 1945, the National Wine Board started the installation of two fixed boilers of continuous distillation, which worked day and night, only stopped every 15 days for cleaning.         As it was worth distilling wines of such good quality, the National Wine Board, in collaboration with the Grémio da Lavoura de Pinhel, thought about the creation of the Adega Cooperativa, in its own facilities that had been purchased from the Pinhel City Council and that had remained devoluted by the departure of the Military Forces, quartered there, that had revolted against the Government of the Military Dictatorship.          In 1947, 6 mills were built in granite, in the park used by military vehicles and the vats were assembled in the stables after being properly adapted. The first work was done by artisanal processes, because in Pinhel there was no electricity with sufficient power and it was turned off at midnight; to the racking pumps themselves, they were driven by explosion engines.
 We were 33 partners, delivering the grapes that year to the winery; although with a lot of difficulties, Adega Cooperativa was created and put into operation.  Of the primitive 33 co-workers, the current 2,300 were reached. 
As I have been following the evolution of this Cooperative since 1944, I want to emphasize here that the good will shown by the President and Vice-President of the National Wine Board, Conde de Penha Garcia and Engº, contributed a lot to the start of this Work. Teixeira de Sousa, who provided staff, financial means, material and all kinds of help.
            Here is a summary of how the birth of Adega Cooperativa de Pinhel took place 52 years ago.