Soalheiro — Attraction in Melgaço

A family owned and run business that is listed within the top 50 wineries and that deserves a a long visit. Don’t expect a fancy and luxurious premises. They care far more about their origins and how their wines taste than how well designed their winery is. The guide has been extremely friendly and clear. We tried a few wines from sparkling to experimental ones. Yes, they have a laboratory in the winery where they do tests mixing different types of grape or proving new processes. We bought a magnum of their Reserva and bottles of Granit, Classic and also the experimental one (called Aghora Albarinho) which was amazing.

They also grow and process herbal teas that my wife tasted and...

We just showed up a Saturday afternoon without any reservation for a guiding. Nevertheless in less than 2 minutes we could start our tour which was excellent. I especially welcomed that our guide could speak very well English as my Portugees is basically non existant. We got a lot of information about the winery as we visited the vineyard, the herb farm, the cellar, the industrial part and ended up with a wine tasting which was also very enjoyable. The wines, the chocolate and the teas are all outstanding. So it was a perfect Saturday afternoon program, thanks Quinta...

If you find yourself in Portugal's Minho district, and you like wine and great food do yourself a favor and book a lunch at the Soalheiro vineyard. Soalheiro is the largest and arguably the best producer of vinho verde in Portugal. My wife and I and four of our friends made the pilgrimage one summer day and were richly rewarded. We got a personal tour of the facilities, by amazing and knowledgeable staff member, Indra, met the founders daughter, and her dogs, and were served delicious Portuguese cuisine supplied by local producers paired with some of...