The VinhAlvarinho.pt Project

We took advantage of the opening of the Blog to talk about the creation of the VinhAlvarinho.pt project

The idea

The creation of the VinhAlvarinho.pt project came essentially from the desire to unite and promote the different producers of Alvarinho wine, as well as the desire to promote the region.

Although Alvarinho wine and the region are increasingly present nationally and internationally, we know that there is still a lot of room to grow.

It is important to mention that the sub-region and its products are not only more visible to the market due to the various initiatives that have emerged in recent years, but also due to the high quality and innovation of their production, products that from year to year if they have overcome, proof of that and something that is not new, are the awards that the wines of the region have won in recent years , both nationally and internationally.

Fig.1 - Examples of some wines produced in Monção and Melgaço

Currently, there are more than 50 producers of Alvarinho wine in the sub-region where the average quality is increasingly higher. Most of the producers are small family businesses that are still little publicized or with less publicity. We believe that having an online platform that unites the little ones with the main producers in the market will benefit everyone and in particular the sub-region.

It should not be forgotten that the sub-region of Monção and Melgaço is the region of the original alvarinho, where the alvarinho variety manages to reach its maximum exponent, the microclimate is perfect and in conjunction with other factors that will be detailed in another publication for the purpose. , we managed to produce unique wines here.

Consequently, with the agreement that allows, in 2021, other areas of the country to produce Alvarinho wines, this type of initiative is important to clearly identify and differentiate what is an Original Alvarinho from the sub-region of Monção and Melgaço and Alvarinhos produced in other regions without the unique characteristics that make Alvarinho Wine a totally unique wine on the market .

The image

The name VinhAlvarinho comes from the junction of the words Vinha and Alvarinho, we always look for a simple name with the inclusion of the word Alvarinho, as it is the “engine” of the region. The logo represents a simple bunch of grapes but with "eyes" towards the future, thus representing the simplicity and friendliness of the peoples of Monção and Melgaço.

Fig.2 - VinhAlvarinho.pt project logo

Our work

Our main objective is to promote the producers of wine and regional products in the sub-region of Monção and Melgaço, located in the Vinho Verde wine region. We want to make known the best that is done in the geographically northernmost wine region of the country with the products that we make available in our online store and with the publications on our blog.

Regarding the wines of the region, Alvarinho wine is clearly the main protagonist, however other wines of great quality are also produced , such as rosé, white and red, including sparkling wines, where they exist, in addition to the famous 100% Alvarinho , rosés, reds and whites. Within the 100% Alvarinho wines and sparkling wines, in addition to the traditional Alvarinho, there are also reserves, organic production, old vines, super reserve, among others.

Fig.3 - Image taken from the Alvarinho harvest

In addition to wines, there are also numerous regional products, such as honey, jams, liqueurs, cheeses, among others, and some of these products have alvarinho as an ingredient (for example, in liqueurs, jams or cheeses).

Regarding our blog, we will start by addressing, in a simple way, several generic issues related to wine culture in Portugal, and then we will move on to specific publications on the sub-region of Monção and Melgaço. Let's do our best!

In our launch on the market, in a first phase, we intend to bring the flavors of the sub-region of Monção and Melgaço to people's homes, preparing them, for a second phase, to take them to visit this enchanting region and sometimes even forgotten in the time!

the ambition

We have the ambition to have a physical store, initially, located in the great port dedicated especially to Alvarinho wine and other products from the sub-region.

At the moment we only take Alvarinho de Monção e Melgaço to people's homes, we hope to take more people to visit Monção e Melgaço in the future.

While these projects and others are not possible to achieve, we are updating our online store every month with new products and we are evolving on our blog.

Above all, we want to create a trusted brand that represents the best that is done in the sub-region of Monção and Melgaço.

Fig.4 - Campaign “Monção e Melgaço – The Origin of Alvarinho”

The wine regions of Portugal

Portugal is a country with a strong tradition in wine production, we produce wines of excellent quality from north to south of the country and even in the islands. Portugal is divided into 14 wine regions, each region having its main grape varieties, its sub-regions, its denominations, its microclimates, among other characteristics that allow the production of unique and differentiated wines from zone to zone, even being within the same wine region, just like our sub-region.

Fig.5 - Illustrative map of the wine regions of Portugal

As can be seen in this map of Portugal, the 14 wine regions are:

• Vinho Verde (where the sub-region of Monção and Melgaço is located)
• Behind-the-hills
• Porto and Douro
• Távora and Varosa
• give
• bairrada
• inner edge
• Lisbon
• Tagus
• Setúbal Peninsula
• Alentejo
• Algarve
• Wood
• Azores