23/10/2025

Autumn at Vinagra Village: A Slow Start to Olive Season

Autumn has arrived at Vinagra Village under grey skies, but we’ve barely seen any rain—just a few drops this week. The weather’s still warm, even as the sun sets earlier. It’s not looking good. By this time last year, we had plenty of water.

The olives are late and smaller than usual due to the dry conditions. Normally, we’d start harvesting in early October, but this year we only got going on the 22nd. With the shorter days, we’re out in the fields from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.—and yes, the back pain is real. There's a lot of bending involved.

This season, we’ve kept it in the family—farm workers, friends, and relatives helping out. But next year, we’re opening it up.

Coming in 2026: Community Olive Picking at Vinagra Village

Help us harvest our organic olives and take part in an authentic slice of Alentejo life. You’ll earn a gift certificate for your work—and go home with a story worth telling.

📅 Dates: One day event October 2026
🍽 What to Expect:

• Harvest kicks off after breakfast

• Picnic lunch out in the field

• More picking (if you're still game)

• Big community dinner with plenty of our own extra virgin olive oil

This is a real, hands-on experience. Pre-booking will be required and space is limited.

The First Press: Pure Alentejo Gold

Did you know it takes just 100 kg of olives to produce 9 to 10 litres of olive oil?

After the first day of harvest, we brought 200 kg to Herdade do Lage, a farm owned by Fernando Lage. His press produces some of the finest olive oil in the Alentejo. Unlike many producers who press the olives two or even three times to extract every last drop—often at the expense of quality—Fernando cold presses only once. The result is a clean, vibrant oil that reflects the true character of the fruit.

He even kept our batch separate so we could have our very own organic azeite.