MONÇÃO-MELGAÇO – VINHOS VERDES

Monção and Melgaço

In this tour we will introduce you to a beautiful region for its landscapes, wines, gastronomy, history, culture and traditions.

It is not a one-day tour, as we would waste a lot of time traveling, ending up not enjoying all of its essence.

If holidays are time to relax and enjoy, this region can provide you with all of that.

Come on! And you will easily distract yourself from the routine of your everyday life.

In the vast extension of northwestern Portugal, Monção and Melgaço incorporate one of the 9 sub-regions of Vinho Verde, where the queen variety is Alvarinho.

Region with a blanket of lush vegetation, which extends over the rugged mountain peaks, covering the interior valleys as you move towards the sea. This vegetation, is only interrupted, here and there, by beautiful cities and towns.

Monção and Melgaço, the birthplace of Alvarinho

In this microclimate, the Alvarinho variety gives rise to a personalized wine that is distinguished from the others by its balance, citrus colour, light and fresh palate, fruity aroma, characteristic and unique, leaving a pleasant and persistent aftertaste. It differs from the rest of the white wines of the region, not only in purely chemical terms, but also in terms of sensory analysis.

In flavour, it is complex, harmonious, full-bodied, persistent, soft and dry. The quality, balance and maximization of its potential are only achieved after a few months of aging in the bottle.

Due to its unique properties, it should be savoured fresh, at a temperature between 8º and 10º centigrade. However, it must be cooled slowly in order to preserve the aroma.

Alvarinho wine is an excellent company on a Sunset and goes perfectly with seafood, fish and meat dishes. In roasts, we advise an older Alvarinho wine or a sparkling Alvarinho.

In these two villages, spaces and events that were fundamental to the appreciation and appreciation of Alvarinho Wine were created, such as: the Alvarinho Museum, the Alvarinho Fair, the Alvarinho Wine Route, the Fumeiro and Wine Fair, the Solar do Alvarinho, gastronomic fairs… Let’s meet some!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Monção  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Monção is a Portuguese village with 24 parishes, in the district of Viana do Castelo, North region and sub-region of Alto Minho.

The municipality of Monção is limited to the north by Salvaterra do Minho and Arbo (Spain), to the east by the municipality of Melgaço, to the south by Arcos de Valdevez, to the southwest by Paredes de Coura and to the west by Valença.

In the parish of Riba de Mouro is located the highest point of the municipality, at the top of Sto. António de Vale dos Poldros, with 1,114 metres of altitude.

It is located two kilometres from the Spanish municipality of Salvaterra de Miño, to which it is connected by a bridge over the river Minho.

Alvarinho de Monção Fair

The Vinho Verde Alvarinho Route is the first example of the application of the European Wine Tourism Charter. Anchored in its star product, the Vinho Verde Alvarinho, this project focuses on the promotion and enhancement of the territory as a whole, particularizing the entire tourist offer: Accommodation, Restaurants, Commerce, Cultural and Natural Heritage and Entertainment, reinforcing its condition of strategic instrument for the economic competitiveness of the region and promoting the establishment of commercial partnerships.Held in Parque das Caldas, it always has the presence of more than a hundred exhibitors divided by a covered area and another uncovered. In the covered space, you will find wine producers, tasquinhas, smokers and traditional sweets. Outside, there are handicraft exhibitors, social, cultural and sports institutions, the organization and official sponsors.

To g0 with Alvarinho and traditional snacks, the organization annually develops initiatives related to the wine sector and entertainment and social activities. In addition to the drums, concertinas, cavaquinhos, folklore and Galician charangas, the presence of musical groups and entertainers known to the general public stands out.

It also assumes itself as a space for the dissemination of business and associative activity in the region and as a “showcase” for the stimulation of the rural world through the presentation, valorisation and commercialization of local and regional products and articles.

It is intended to provide those who visit this territory, made up of the municipalities of Monção and Melgaço, with a handful of remarkable and differentiating experiences, corresponding to the expectations of those who want to spend some enriching days in communion with nature and the delights of the flavours and knowledge that this region offers.

The river Minho, and its tributaries, have the natural conditions necessary to practice water sports, combining peaceful moments with strong emotions. The sunny houses, farms and cellars are revealed as true repositories of our identity and tradition, leaving in the air the feeling of something unique and singular that is worth knowing.

When entering through the doors of these municipalities, coming from Valença or Spain, we may see the vineyards of the Alvarinho variety, planted in magnificent amphitheaters, halfway up the hillside, in a very specific microclimate, protected by the mountains of Portugal and Spain, combining the soil, sun, suffering, wisdom and peace (o solo, o sol, o sofrimento, a sabedoria e o sossego). The five “S” for a wine made with art and full of life. Whoever comes, likes it. Later, he returns.

Museum of Alvarinho – Monção

The Museum of Alvarinho, located in Casa do Curro, was inaugurated on February 28, 2015. From that day on, Monção started to count on a relevant and supporter equipment of Alvarinho wine, open to citizens, tourists and lovers of the wine world, raising their endogenous characteristics and the local companies dedicated to their production.

With its registered name, the Museum of Alvarinho constitutes a space for the promotion, commercialization and tasting of that demarcated and singular product, with high importance in the economy of many moncanese families and supporting the cultural and historical identity of the municipality.Distributed in different areas, this space will provide visitors with an authentic journey through the world of this famous nectar, providing interactive information on the origin, evolution and companies dedicated to the production of this true ex-libris of the municipality of Monção.

Alvarinho Wine companies with labeled products, which have been awarded prizes in national and international competitions so many times, find in this space “a gateway” for the valorization of their products, as well as a “meeting point” for commented tastings, promotional meetings and establishing business partnerships.

Fair “da Foda”

Fair “da Foda”, “Foda de Monção” or “Cordeiro à Moda Monção” is a gastronomic event, held in the parish of Pias that promotes the maintenance of quality and the guarantee of the genuineness of this dish with history and tradition in this municipality. It is organized every year by the Confraria da Foda and the Parish Council of Pias, supported by the Municipality of Monção.

Além da degustação da carne de Cordeiro há também a promoção dos vinhos da Região (Alvarinho, como rei) folclore, artesanato, bem como espaços para os produtores de rés, demonstrações de tosquias e máquinas agrícolas.

Este evento costuma realizar-se no último fim de semana do mês de Março.

Quinta de Santiago

Quinta de Santiago has been owned by the family since 1899. For about 100 years, the main activity of Quinta de Santiago was the production of wines, olive oil, lupine, cereals, milk, meat, fruit, etc., for self-consumption. The main destination of the grape produced consisted of sales to large companies in the region, and so it was until 2011.

In 2009, from the children, grandchildren and the owner’s, Avó “Mariazinha” with 86 years old, determination and passion for wines, the project Quinta de Santiago “boutique winery” was born.

It was the grandmother’s entrepreneurial ability, a woman who spent her entire life in vineyards and wine, who was at the origin of the project, challenging the family to stop selling grapes and to start their own wine project. A determined woman with settled ideas, she demanded that the created trademark would have the family name and that the sharing of her legacy be accompanied by the return to the roots of the whole family. Prelude that was accepted with strength and that united the 3 generations of the Santiago family, combining the tradition and knowledge of the older generation with the modernity and enthusiasm of the younger generation in the creation of authentic wines that expressed the characteristics of the terroir and, at the same time, reflected the personality of this fantastic Portuguese native grape variety, which is Alvarinho.

For that reason, they bet on a small production of Alvarinho as a state of mind and business idea focused on quality and authenticity. A philosophy that allows to know and passionately control all the moments of the grape and wine production, each vine, each bottle, guaranteeing an exclusive and carefully created product until packaging. The first harvest (2012) was launched on the market in 2014.

The face of this family project is the young producer Joana Santiago, whose passion for wines and energy for work was clearly bequeathed to her by her Grandmother, a native from Minho!

. . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Melgaço . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Melgaço is a Portuguese village, divided into 13 parishes, in the district of Viana do Castelo, in the North region and in the Alto Minho sub-region. It is the seat of the municipality, limited to the north and east by the autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), to the southwest by the municipality of Arcos de Valdevez and to the west by Monção, being the northernmost municipality in the country.

Melgaço is located in an important mountainous region, whose heritage and environmental values are an internationally recognized reference (Gerês-Xurés Transboundary Biosphere Reserve). The highest point in the municipality is located in Giestoso, being the 4th highest mountain in the district of Viana do Castelo, with an altitude of 1,335 meters, in the parish of Castro Laboreiro.

A green region, typically Minhota, with strong and fertile vegetation, 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, histories, legends and testimonies of past experiences and holder of a rich and tasty gastronomy.

Quinta Soalheiro

Quinta de Soalheiro, a pioneer in the creation of Alvarinho wine in Melgaço and an international reference for the wines of this variety, is perfectly integrated into the typical Minho landscape that surrounds it. In the seventies (1974) the passion for viticulture led João António Cerdeira, with the support of his father António Esteves Ferreira, to plant the first Alvarinho vineyard and to create in 1982 the first Alvarinho brand in Melgaço and one of the first wine brands Alvarinho in the Monção and Melgaço sub-region.

On this visit to the winery, with a panoramic view of Monção and Melgaço Valley, you have to prepare your taste for the best sensations of pure pleasure. You will be able to explore the Soalheiro Dimensions harmonized with some of the best delicacies that the region has to offer: the smokehouse of Quinta de Folga and cheese from Melgaço meadows.

Quinta da Folga

Belonging to the Quinta do Soalheiro family, a place where we can taste all the typical flavours of this region, Quinta da Folga is a family project that was born from the desire to recover natural production systems, betting on the outdoor breeding of Bísara animals. A sustained activity in the use of endogenous resources, guaranteeing animal welfare. With the evolution of the project, the need arose to enhance the excellent raw material obtained from the Bísaro pig, the indigenous breed that has been linked to the manufacture of the products of the Fumeiro de Melgaço (smoked meat) since time immemorial.

It became a concern to preserve the historical connection, using ingenuity and the art of traditional know-how, passed down from generation to generation, to produce products that are characterized by fidelity to traditions already forgotten elsewhere, endowed with a refined and irresistible flavour.

Quinta de Folga integrates the Alvarinho wine route and organizes, by booking, gastronomic events for groups, whose theme is Bísaro Pork and Alvarinho wine.

Cheese Shop Prados de Melgaço

Prados de Melgaço is inspired by the heritage of the Portuguese cheese tradition, creating an authentic, original and unique goat cheese, which enriches the variety of products in the region.

The birth of a tradition…

In this region of green pastures and fresh air, Prados de Melgaço integrates the privileged natural conditions into a characteristic goat cheese, of a local nature, which aims to become a reference product.

To achieve this aim, Prados de Melgaço focuses the whole process on caring for its animals, ensuring the best conditions for breeding and feeding to obtain exceptional milk, the raw material of an excellent cheese.

First Day

Transfer from accommodation to Monção

Visit to the village of Monção

Museum of Alvarinho

Lunch

Quinta Santiago

Hotel Convento dos Capuchos (Visit and overnight stay)

Dinner at Restaurant “A Cozinha do Convento” – Hotel Convento dos Capuchos

Second Day

Breakfast – Hotel Convento dos Capuchos

Visit to the village of Melgaço

Visit to the Prados de Melgaço Cheese Shop

Quinta do Soalheiro – Quinta da Folga

(Lunch, Smokehouse, Farm tour, Wine tasting)

Return to Accommodation

Note: You may choose a shorter tour in a matter of time, only one day.