ABOUT US
A Family Heritage
Today the fourth generation of our family manages the family land. Following the inheritance of our grandmother, the family estate was divided into five lots. However, wishing to keep the project going as one, three of the five branches of the family decided to keep the land and the business together, as they still do today.
Thanks to this joint effort, the estate has grown, and today we work in livestock farming, with a focus on purebred cattle of the native Alentejana breed, as well as cereals, forestry and, since 2001, winemaking.
The three branches of the original family who own the family estate are:
Rosa Bagulho
Bagulho Vasconcelos
Bagulho Albino
THE FAMILY
Timeline
1380
The first owner of these lands dies. The property was made up of three country houses: Torre de Curvo de Cá, Torre de Curvo Dalém (today Torre do Frade) and Torre da Alvarenga.
1380 to 1834
In his will, Vicente Martins Curvo left all his lands to the Hermits of Saint Augustine. In his memory, a chapel was built in the church of the nearby village of Veiros.
1834
On 28 May 1834, the government published a law abolishing all religious orders. Their property was taken over by the State, which later sold these estates at public auction.
1839
The original estate was split in two by eye, using as a boundary a small stream that crosses it, the «Ribeira das Picanheiras» (a story told by a former worker, João Maria Baptista). In 1839, the Torre do Frade estate was bought by António Joaquim de Souza Zuzarte for 14 contos de réis, the equivalent of about €75 today, without inflation.
1900
António Joaquim's eldest son, Francisco João de Souza Zuzarte, took over the family business. He was married to D. Maria Tereza de Matos Cortes Zuzarte.
1928
On 8 July 1928, Francisco João de Souza Zuzarte died, leaving the running of the estate to his brave and beloved wife, Maria Tereza de Matos Cortes de Souza Zuzarte.
1953
When D. Maria Tereza died in 1953, she left the estate to her adopted niece, Maria Ana Cortes Bagulho. Maria Ana was married to Luís Alfredo Carvalho Bagulho, who carried on the family business.
1971
Luís Alfredo Carvalho Bagulho died and the estate was leased.
1974
With the fall of the Salazar regime (the Portuguese dictatorship, 1932 to 1974), all the land in the Alentejo, including this estate, was expropriated by the so-called Collective Production Units, led by the communist wave that swept Portugal at the time.
1979 to today
In 1979 the estate was returned to its original owners. The family then had five branches. After a valuation, the land was measured and divided into equal parts. Two of the five branches chose to farm their parts independently and still do today. The other three joined their land and efforts and formed a group of agricultural companies, including Sociedade Agrícola H.T. Curvo, Lda., which started this project.
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Our Approach
We believe Alentejo farming grows stronger when producers work together. Our management is therefore built on cooperation and team spirit, which give us the scale to compete, and on producing high-quality, native and certified goods that set us apart.
This approach runs through every activity on the estate. We are founding members of Carnalentejana, dedicated to beef from the native Alentejana breed. In cereals, we are part of the Cereais do Alentejo brand, which promotes 100% Portuguese grain. We also work with oilseed and protein-crop growers, helping to build a stronger Portuguese agriculture that is less dependent on imports.
Spirit of Partnership
This is our core goal, because in this business the customer drives the whole project: without customers there is no future. That is why customer service is essential to a healthy partnership. The product is the first point of contact, backed by our commitment to quality, but service is the relationship that weighs most in the customer's final decision. We are aware of this, and so we guide our organisation by these values: Integrity, Tradition, Innovation, Respect and Spirit of Partnership.
The People of Our Land
At Torre do Frade we value employing people from our own region, especially from the surrounding villages. They bring our company to life: they know the estate like no one else, follow every harvest and pass on, from generation to generation, the know-how that makes our wines unique.
Investing in those who live and work in the Alto Alentejo is also our way of contributing to the region's future and keeping alive the bond between family, land and community.
Mission, Vision and Values
Mission
To promote the sustainability of rural Alentejo, making the most of the forestry, farming, livestock and tourism potential of our heritage, always in a spirit of cooperation.
Vision
To be a self-sustaining estate with high-quality niche products, and a driver of economic and social development in our region, especially in the municipality of Monforte.
Tradition
Our history goes back to 1380, when the estate was left to the Hermits of Saint Augustine. Today, the family carries on that bond with the land with the same dedication to farming.
Innovation
Tradition does not stop us from evolving. We invest in creativity, diversification, ongoing training for our team and the best farming practices.
Respect
We respect the land, our team, partners, customers and the community. We act with ethics, transparency and rigour, because that is how lasting relationships are built.