Soalheiro
Soalheiro has spent more than four decades exploring just how good Portuguese Alvarinho can be. Based in Melgaço, near the Spanish border, it produces vibrant whites, textured wines built to age and sparkling Alvarinho.
In 1974, João António Cerdeira and his family planted Melgaço’s first vineyard dedicated entirely to Alvarinho. Experiments in the family garage followed, with the car making way for barrels and the first Soalheiro released in 1982.
Mountains shelter Monção e Melgaço from the Atlantic, while warm days, cool nights and granite soils help deliver ripe flavour with bright acidity. That combination gives the wines their generosity and freshness.
The family’s vineyards have been certified organic since 2006, complemented by fruit from a community of local growers. Their small plots span different elevations and exposures, giving the team plenty of vineyard diversity to explore.
Old vines, mountain sites, barrel fermentation and extended ageing each reveal another side of the grape, making this one of the most exciting explorations of Alvarinho in Portugal.
