Madeira Winegrowers’ Union
Original title: União dos Viticultores da Madeira
A wine-growers' company founded in early 1910 to buy, mature and export genuine Madeira wine, which dissolved for lack of investors before achieving anything.
A company of this name was founded in early 1910 with a capital of 100 contos (one million réis) de réis, divided into shares of 20 thousand réis (old Portuguese money of account; 1$000 = 1,000 réis, 1:000$000 = one conto = 1,000,000 réis), payable in instalments of 10 per cent over a period of 10 years. Its aim was to buy from its members Madeira wines as must, to keep them in store and improve them, and then to export them as a genuine product, free from the adulterations that have contributed so much to their discredit.
Although the founders of the União dos Viticultores each took 25 shares, worth 5 contos de réis, their example was not followed by others interested in raising the value of our wines, so the company was dissolved before it had rendered any service to our island.