A visit to the original Alvarinho vineyard in Melgaço - to experience its incredible Soalheiro Alvarinho wines, its wine tourism offer and its herbal teas!

Vinho Verde Portugal is one of the most beautiful of the Portuguese wine regions and a wine tour here has to include its most well-known sub-region, ‘Monção and Melgaço’. Located on the tip of North Portugal, on the south banks of the River Minho, bordering with Galicia in Spain, the Monção and Melgaço sub-region is home to Vinho Verde Alvarinho.

Portuguese wine tourism is a really exciting and fast-growing sector and is very popular in Vinho Verde. Whilst on a tour of Vinho Verde’s ‘Monção and Melgaço’ wine region, we couldn’t miss out on a visit to the original Alvarinho vineyard, Soalheiro, the 4th largest Alvarinho producer in the region today and featured in the 2023 World’s Best Vineyards list at no. 64.

Read on to learn more about Soalheiro and what makes it such a top wine tourism destination, not just in Portugal’s Vinho Verde wine region but throughout the world!

Also see below the video of our trip to Soalheiro:

Vinho Verde’s sub region of Monção and Melgaço

The wine region of Monção and Melgaço produces a high proportion of the best Vinho Verde wines and is home to some of the best white wines in Portugal. It is the birthplace of Alvarinho, one of the best white grape varieties in the world and wines made from this grape are certainly the stars of Monção and Melgaço. 

The Monção and Melgaço region is located at the north-western tip of Vinho Verde. It benefits from a special micro-climate, with more frequent sunshine than in other parts of Vinho Verde and limited Atlantic breeze and rainfall. 

The sunny hillsides around the southern bank of the Minho river are protected by mountains which serve to control the humidity and temperatures. Monção is located lower by the Minho river, while Melgaço is at slightly higher altitudes.

There are approximately 1700 hectares of vineyards producing wines with the Vinho Verde Monção and Melgaço certification.  

Vinho Verde Alvarinho

The Alvarinho grape variety flourishes in the granite soils of the Minho valley in North Portugal, as it does in the Spanish wine region of Rías Baixas, just across the River Minho, where it is known as Albariño. 

Typical Monção and Melgaço Alvarinho wines are elegant, fresh, intense and expressive and aromas can include quince, peach, banana, lemon, passion fruit and lychee, orange blossom and violet, hazelnut and walnut and honey.

There are of course individual variations and blends, however the top wines tend to be 100% Alvarinho. Some are more powerful than others and some are matured in oak barrels to give them a more intense, deeper flavour. All Monção and Melgaço Alvarinho wines however are gastronomic, so they are perfect wines to pair with food.

Despite the dominance of Alvarinho in Monção and Melgaço, other grape varieties include Trajadura and Loureiro (whites) and Borraçal, Vinhão or Alvarelhão (reds).

A region of tradition and history

The valley of the River Minho marks the place where Portugal begins both geographically and historically. The villages of Monção and Melgaço were founded over 700 years ago and for many centuries, they were the first line of defence for the Kingdom of Portugal. This is evidenced by their ancient city walls and castles which still stand, in part, today (see later). 

The winegrowing tradition in Monção and Melgaço has deep roots. By the 15th century, it was already much more than a local agricultural product and “Vinho de Monção” was eagerly sought by the English cod traders who lined the Portuguese coast.

Despite the deep tradition of Monção and Melgaço wines, many winemakers here today combine tradition with modernity and innovation. A new breed of young winemakers are attracted by the region’s recent development as a top and exciting wine region to watch!

Learn more about Vinho Verde’s Monção and Melgaço region here.

Quinta de Soalheiro 

Soalheiro, located just outside the beautiful town of Melgaço, in northern Portugal’s Vinho Verde wine region, is a very successful and well-known, third generation family wine business, managed today by brother and sister António Luís and Maria João, along with their mother Maria Palmira Cerdeira. It has a long history in Vinho Verde Alvarinho and is known for its excellent wines, for its adoption of a completely organic approach to farming and also for its range of herbal teas (more on this later)! 

In more recent years it has fully embraced the opportunities presented by wine tourism and for this has earned itself a place in the 2022 World’s Best Vineyards list as voted by global wine and travel experts.

The original Alvarinho vineyard in Melgaço

António’s and Maria’s grandfather, João António Cerdeira, planted a small plot of Alvarinho grapes back in 1974, which he named ‘Soalheiro’ - or ‘Sunny place’ - and he then went onto develop this into a proper, single vineyard, dedicated to Alvarinho grapes, the first to do this in the Melgaço area. From this vineyard he created the first branded Alvarinho wines from the area, Soalheiro Alvarinho wines, in 1982.

Solheiro proudly celebrated the 40th anniversary of Solheiro wines in 2022.

This original vineyard still thrives today, producing a range of special wines called Primeiras Vinhas or 'First Vineyards'.  The vineyard retains its original ‘pergola’ system - with the vines grown on high trellises, which keep the vines and grapes from hanging low on the wet ground, but traditionally enabled other crops, like potatoes and corn, to be grown underneath - typical of traditional Vinho Verde vineyards.

Soalheiro wines

Today the family farms approximately 16 hectares of organic vineyards to make its celebrated wines, which includes the highest altitude Alvarinho vineyards in Portugal - planted at an altitude of some 1100 metres above sea level. This experimentation with high-altitude vineyards is but one example in a history of Soalheiro Alvarinho innovation. 

The Terroir is typically Monção and Melgaço Vinho Verde, characterised as an Atlantic temperate microclimate with continental influence, featuring cold and rainy winters and hot and dry summers. The terrain is mixed, with mainly granite soils, steep valley vineyards and mountain slopes.

Soalheiro produces approximately 800,000 bottles of wine each year, made up of a large range of wines, based mainly on the Alvarinho varietal but other local varieties too. The range includes some sparkling wines and natural wines, classic fruity Alvarinho wines as well as a ‘mineral’ range, characterised by rich, stony flavours and a sensation of saltiness in the mouth. This broad range of wines demonstrates the breadth of flexibility and potential of the Alvarinho grape and its many different natural expressions.

Note that all viticulture is certified organic, but not all of wines are certified organic - refer to each wine description.

Wine innovation

An important element of Soalheiro’s range of wines is its ‘Innovation and Partnership wines’ - a result of the family’s desire to continue exploring and experimenting with winemaking and in particular the Alvarinho grape variety. In fact, Soalheiro was the first winery to produce a sparkling Alvarinho wine.

In 2019, Soalheiro launched its new ‘Innovation Centre’ and became the first winery in Portugal to achieve the ‘Investigation, Development, and Innovation certification’ (IDI), a clear demonstration that innovation was and always will be a core value for Soalheiro. Here Soalheiro also invites friends and partners to realise their dreams, through special innovation and incubator projects.

An organic and sustainable approach to viticulture and winemaking

In 2006, all Soalheiro vines were certified organic, which was pioneering for that time and today it is transitioning to biodynamic processes. Soalheiro promotes environmental sustainability and supports biodiversity in its viticultural ecosystems. This is not limited to just its own vineyards, but extends through to its ‘club’ of 150+ local, family producers, who provide their best quality grapes to Soalheiro. This serves to extend the volume of grapes Soalheiro has available, but it also contributes to the environmental, socio-economic and cultural prosperity of the local region. 

 Soalheiro herbal teas

Soalheiro’s constant quest for innovation and sustainability has led to the recent development of a range of ‘Pur Terroir’ herbal teas, the cultivation of plants and aromatic herbs being a long-standing tradition in the area. Not only is Soalheiro continuing a local tradition, this move into producing herbal teas serves to promote biodiversity and agricultural diversity and to support the local economy.

Wine tourism at Soalheiro

Even from the very beginning, welcoming visitors to Soalheiro to experience the wines and the terroir has always been a core element of the family’s philosophy.  Starting in 2018, Soalheiro has continued to broaden its wine tourism offer, also working with local partners, to deliver a full and authentic experience to the wine enthusiast, experience of the wines, the Monção and Melgaço region, the terroir, local gastronomy, culture and traditions.

All wine tourism options can be viewed and booked via the Soalheiro website.

Wine tastings and tours

A fabulous new tasting room was recently added, offering panoramic views over the Minho Valley - a wonderful place to enjoy a range of Soalheiro wine tasting options. The wine tastings include a tour of the organic vineyards and the state-of-the-art winery and new innovation centre. 

Herbal tea tastings

The visitor can also enjoy a herbal tea tasting, either in the tasting room or outside, weather permitting, in the outdoor herbal tea garden. The tasting includes 3 different teas, paired with local cheeses, james and honey and a tour of the organic vegetable garden. 

Gastronomic experiences

Enjoying local wines with local foods is of course the best way to really discover a wine region and Soalheiro offers a range of enticing, gastronomic options! Located in either the tasting room or Soalheiro’s own smokehouse close by the winery - Quinta de Folga, where they produce amazing, local meat delicacies from the local Bisaro pig - these gastronomic experiences offer the visitor the opportunity to taste Soalheiro wines with the best in local, traditional foods.

Accommodation

The best way however, to fully experience Soalheiro and the region is to stay in Casa das Infusões, a rustic house, accommodating up to 6 people,  situated next to the herbal tea farm and close to the beautiful vineyards. It is likely that more accommodation options will be added in the future, watch this space!

Our visit to Soalheiro

We were very excited to visit Soalheiro, with its reputation for the quality of its wines and its strong focus on wine tourism. As we approached from Melgaço and caught sight of the stunning Soalheiro building on the hillside, we felt sure we were going to be impressed - and we weren’t disappointed!

We were met by Marta, an extremely knowledgeable, friendly, charismatic and passionate guide and superb ambassador for Soalheiro, who proceeded to spend the next 2-3 hours with us, introducing us to its history, philosophy, its wines, teas and wine tourism offering. Marta gave us a very strong and positive impression that Soalheiro is a real ‘family’ business - ‘family’ in a wider sense than blood relations - everyone who works in the team is passionate, committed and involved - and has the opportunity to contribute to its strategy and success. You could tell that Soalheiro isn’t just a wine business, it is totally integrated into and supportive of the community, its people, its land and the wider Monção and Melgaço region.

Visit to the vineyards

Our first stop was to wander across the road to look round the original Soalheiro Alvarinho vineyard, with its tall vine trellises and soak up the incredible views and nature all around us. Marta gave us an excellent insight into the Alvarinho grape variety and into the history and importance today of growing vines in this community and region. 

Marta also showed us around the original family farm, where grains were stored and corn bread was made and the original winery, where years ago the family started the business of Soalheiro Alvarinho wines. It was wonderful to step back in time and be able to appreciate the foundations and beginnings of this now very successful business, but one very much based on old traditions.

Visit to the winery

Marta walked us through the old winery in the complex, where you can see the original Portuguese ‘lagars’, huge granite troughs where the grapes were ‘stomped’ and into the main, modern winery, recently refurbished, with space dedicated to fermentation and ageing the wines. Soalheiro’s evolution over the last 40 years is clear to see as we walked through the wineries and into the new ‘innovation centre’ where Marta excitedly explained to us some of the projects and experiments the team were currently progressing.

Our Soalheiro wine tasting

Our tour finished up on the incredible terrace, with the most beautiful, panoramic views over the Minho valley, towards the mountains and the Spanish border - and onto the new tasting room. Wow, this room is really impressive - no detail and expense has been spared to create a relaxing environment which reflects the simplicity and abundance of nature all around. The huge wooden table is stunning and the large windows let in the light and showcase the incredible views. 

Firstly Marta introduced us to one of the incredible Soalheiro herbal teas, followed by a range of 8 very different wines, accompanied by some amazing local delicacies, including smoked meats and sausage, corn bread, honey, james and cheeses. All incredibly delicious!

We started with 2 Soalheiro sparkling wines, the Brut Alvarinho and the Brut Nature (with no added sulphites) which were a revelation - and evidence of Soalhiero’s experience in sparkling wines - totally delicious! So too was a third sparkling wine - to be released in 2023 - a ‘Pet Nat’ wine, or Pétillant-Naturel (natural sparkling), a style of low-alcohol sparkling wine, made without adding any secondary yeasts or sugars. This style of wine is becoming quite popular and again provides evidence of Soalheiro’s desire to innovate, to evolve and to remain relevant.   

We then went on to Soalheiro’s signature Alvarinho ‘classic’ wine (2021), which was amazing, followed by the more mineral Alvarinho Soalheiro Granit (2021), made from higher altitude grapes, a totally different expression of Alvarinho and great with food. We then had the opportunity to taste the Primeiras Vinhas Alvarinho (2021), made from grapes from the original Soalheiro vineyard, the Soalheiro Reserva Alvarinho (2021) and finally, an ‘innovation’ wine, Soalheiro Ag.hora Alvarinho (2020).

We were so impressed by all of the Soalheiro wines - this tasting reaffirmed our love of Vinho Verde Alvarinho wines, but we were really blown away by the quality of these wines and the breadth of the Soalheiro range.   

Soalheiro shop

As we took our leave we couldn't help but browse the extensive shop, with wines, tea and wine-related and regional gifts -  well why not???!!

Visiting Soalheiro

Address: Soalheiro, Lugar da Charneca, 4960-010 Alvaredo, Portugal

Purchasing Soalheiro wines

Soalheiro exports its wines to over 40 countries around the world and works with a network of sales partners. The sales partner for the UK is Raymond Reynolds.

Visiting Monção and Melgaço 

As well as being a land of wine and gastronomy, the Monção and Melgaço region in Portugal’s Minho is a great destination for history enthusiasts, nature lovers and adrenaline junkies!

Explore the countryside, following any of the many walking trails and discover the thermal baths, the tourist villages and monuments. Both towns of Monção and Melgaço are border towns (with Spanish Galicia) on the River Minho and both are castle and spa towns - and there are lots of options for activities such as rafting, canoeing, canyoning, horse-riding, and cycling.

How to get to Monção and Melgaço

The main town to head for, in our opinion, is Melgaço, which lies just 1 hour 40 minutes from Porto, the location of the nearest international airport. There is an excellent tourist office here, which we found really useful and Melgaço lies within the stunning Peneda-Gerês National Park - see below.

See here to help you plan your trip to Melgaço!

Where to stay in Monção and Melgaço 

During our wine tour of Vinho Verde’s Monção and Melgaço region, we based ourselves just outside Melgaço in the Hotel Monte Prado. This is a fabulous, relaxing spa hotel, with a glorious outdoor swimming pool, located right by the River Minho. We dined in the hotel one evening and had a great meal and really enjoyed the buffet breakfast. 

If you want to get away from it all and enjoy a great, peaceful location, in the heart of the rural countryside, close to the Monção and Melgaço wineries, then we would absolutely recommend this hotel!!   

Here for some other accommodation alternatives. And here specifically for Melgaço.

What to see and do in Melgaço 

Melgaço is proud of its beautiful historical, cultural and architectural heritage, inserted in the wonderful Peneda-Gerês National Park. It is a land rich in traditions, stories and legends and proud of its gastronomy.

Melgaço is a small town, but it is worth spending an hour or so strolling the picturesque streets and alley-ways.

At the heart of the town you will find Melgaço Castle, dating back to the 12th century. The only remains today include parts of the old village wall and the castle keep/tower, but it's really worth strolling up to the tower to enjoy the beautiful view over Melgaço and the nearby mountains.

From the Castle, take a stroll along to the Jean-Loup Passek Cinema Museum, which has a very interesting history. It is housed in a former customs office and dedicated to the history of cinema in Portugal. 

You can also visit the recently refurbished Solar do Alvarinho where you can discover more about  Alvarinho wine.  

Visit Monção

Monção lies 23km west of Melgaço and is popular to visit because of its Castle and the healing waters of the ‘Termas de Monção’ - or the thermal spas. Similar to Melgaço, only the keep/tower and a section of the old village wall remains of the Monção Castle.

For more information about Monção, see here.

Follow the Alvarinho wine route

The Alvarinho wine route is marked on the roads and this provides an ideal way to discover the area and its natural and cultural heritage. Similar to the Vinho Verde wine route, you can’t go wrong following this route by car!

Peneda-Gerês National Park

Melgaço sits inside the stunning Peneda-Gerês National Park - created in 1971 and Portugal’s only protected national park. Melgaço lies just a few kilometres from the Porta de Lamas de Mouro, one of the 5 park gates, where you can find an information and resource centre. 

We would highly recommend spending some time here, to discover not just its scenic beauty but its old granite villages, the rare examples of ancient human history, rare and endemic botanical species and the habitat of native and endangered species. These include the emblematic wolves and wild horses and the local breed of Castro Laboreiro dogs. 

Take a step back in time and experience life as it was many years ago in this area and to some extent how it remains, extremely rural and traditional and in the winters especially, tough and challenging. Witness the locals carrying on with their daily lives which revolve mostly round farming and looking after their herds of cattle and goats.

Visit Castro Laboreiro village

Drive up the winding roads from Melgaço, like we did, through some incredible scenery and after visiting Lamas de Mouro for some information, carry on to the small village of Castro Laboreiro, named as the top place to visit in the whole National Park

Situated at 1000 metres altitude, enjoy the spectacular views across to the mountains beyond, even better if you can make the 20 minute climb up the remains of the Castle of Castro Laboreiro. Then have a rest and some refreshments at the Restaurante Miradouro do Castelo, where you can enjoy the uninterrupted views!

Make sure to visit the old Roman bridge remains in the village - the Ponte Velha - then drive through the wild countryside, past small rivers and dense woods, passing more Roman bridge remains on the way, to the Castro Laboreiro Plateau, where you can marvel at the huge granite rock formations and the incredible views.

We really enjoyed our day in the Peneda-Gerês National Park - it was one of the highlights of our Vinho Verde discovery and a real gem for those looking to explore more of Portugal! 

Monção and Melgaço gastronomy

The food of this very rural and traditional region is centred around the mountains and the Minho river, with roasted lamb and goat, lamprey, spicy sausage and goats cheese being staple dishes - all washed down of course with some Alvarinho wine!  See here for some examples of local dishes.

See here for restaurant recommendations in Melgaço. We had lunch one day at ‘Mini-Zip’ in the centre of Melgaço and enjoyed some excellent cod and chips!

See below video about visiting Melgaço and Peneda-Gerês National Park

Conclusion and personal highlights

We spent an incredible couple of days in this beautiful part of northern Portugal - a region we would really encourage you to explore yourselves. The scenery is incredible, but so are the people, the history and the traditions. Wine is a way of life here and the Alvorinho grape is certainly King here!

We can fully recommend a visit to Soalheiro and totally appreciate why it was rated at number 16 in the 2022 World’s Best Vineyards to visit list!  The team at Soalheiro are incredibly friendly and passionate about their company, their wines and their region and there is so much to learn and experience here. The tours and the set up here are very sleek and professional but the overriding sentiment you come away with is that Soalheiro is much more than a family business - it is almost a way of life, built on tradition but constantly evolving and innovating.  Soalheiro is almost an environmental and cultural project, committed to nature, the region and a community. We loved it.

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