Don Ponciano is an appellation associated with the slopes of Paderne, in the territory of Melgaço. But Don Ponciano is also a leitmotif that allows us to travel deep into history, all the way back to the founding of Portugal.

It’a a tribute to Ponciano de Abreu, son of José Joaquim de Abreu, one of the three people who jointly acquired the land that once belonged to the monastery of Paderne in 1888. This very old monastery was already extinct at the time but had received a charter from King Afonso Henriques in 1141, in thanks for the help given by the nuns (it housed a women's congregation) during the storming of Castro Laboreiro castle.

Rui Esteves, the current owner of this wine project, is the grandson of Ponciano de Abreu and owns a substantial part of the aforementioned land. The wine is produced with grapes from 9 hectares of his own vineyards (plus others bought from small producers in the region). The grapes are used to make Alvarinho wine with a distinct character and strong ageing potential, marketed under the Dom Ponciano brand.