Description of Experience
Between the banks: Alvarinho, origin and identity
Here, each tasting of Alvarinho is a reading of the territory, where history, landscape, and culture intertwine.
This journey invites you to discover Monção and Melgaço, the two communities that form the most emblematic sub-region of Vinho Verde — the birthplace of the Alvarinho white grape.
We are in a borderland rich in history and cultural identity. Across the River Miño lies Galicia, where the same grape variety — Albariño in Spain — is deeply rooted on both banks, in a space shaped by exchange, adaptation, and historical continuity.
Here, Alvarinho is more than wine. It embodies heritage, culture, and a sense of place. Cultivated over generations, it thrives in the unique conditions of this Atlantic-influenced inland valley — its climate, soils, and terrain — becoming a true reflection of the landscape and of the enduring bond between human care and nature.
The experience is designed to reveal the distinctiveness of this territory and its wine-growing landscape, exploring the origin of Alvarinho, its adaptation to the Minho Valley, and its natural expansion into Galicia.
It includes visits to two representative wine estates, with guided tastings, as well as moments to discover sites of high historical value and landscapes of exceptional beauty.
A small-scale cultural and sensory journey, revealing Alvarinho as an expression of the landscape, history, and identity of the territory.
Experience details
EXPERIENCE DURATION
🌿 DURATION: Approx. 7-8 hours
🌳 CONTEXT: Sub-region of Monção and Melgaço, marked by vineyards, traditional practices and local history. Alvarinho reigns here
🌿 FOCUS: Vineyard landscape, wine, history and local ways of life
🌳 TYPE OF EXPERIENCE: A cultural and sensory journey, focused on reading the vineyard landscape and the history of the territory.
🌿 GROUP SIZE: Realisable from 2 participants
🌳 MEETING POINT: Ponte de Lima, Monção and Melgaço
— Porto, Braga and Viana do Castelo: subject to availability and upon request
🌿 PHYSICAL LEVEL: Easy - mostly by vehicle, with short walks
DAY UNFOLDING
● Group meeting and introduction to the territory
● Journey to the first wine estate
— Visit and commented tasting of Alvarinho
— A dialogue between wine, landscape, and local history
● A contemplative walk through the historic centre of Monção or Melgaço
● Regional lunch
● Visit to a second wine estate
— Commented tasting, deepening the diversity of styles and interpretations of Alvarinho
● Suitable for those looking to connect with the wine-growing landscape, tuning in to its rhythms and the sensory nuances of its wines.
VALUE OF THE EXPERIENCE
• €180 per person
● For groups of 5 or more people, the price per person can be adjusted.
— Designed for a minimum of two participants, the experience is attentively guided, allowing time, care, and meaningful engagement
WHAT IS INCLUDED
● Territory mediation, led locally
● Transport
● Regional lunch
● Two visits to wine producers
● A contemplative walk through the historic centre of Monção or Melgaço
● Civil liability and personal accident insurance
● VAT
MEETING POINTS
● Ponte de Lima
● Monção
● Melgaço
— Porto, Braga and Viana do Castelo: subject to availability and upon request
HALF-DAY EXPERIENCE
● Available upon request
ESSENCE, TRACES, RHYTHM 🍃
Terroir - Family - Alvarinho - Presence - Landscape
🍇🌞🌳🌊🌿
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