Vinhas Velhas

It pairs well with seafood, all kinds of fish, poultry dishes, mature cheeses, smoked meats, or Asian and Mediterranean gastronomies.

As far as our memory goes, Alvarinho was always present in our Territory. In our region, grapevines were traditionally planted around the outskirts of a parcel, with grains cultivated in the centre. In 1974, João António Cerdeira and his parents, António Esteves Ferreira and Maria Cerdeira, decided to break from tradition and plant a full parcel as a continuous vineyard of Alvarinho. Since this first innovation of João António, our family has been linked to the development of Alvarinho cultivation in Melgaço. Today, third-generation family members, siblings Maria João and António Luís, along with their mother Maria Palmira Cerdeira, have embraced this spirit of innovation. António Luís, with a graduate degree in oenology, has built a profound knowledge of the Alvarinho grape variety throughout his life. Maria João, a veterinarian by profession, assumed the responsibility for viticulture and successfully introduced organic farming into our vineyards. Our innovative vision extends to the Territory and includes the sustainable revitalisation of the surrounding rural area. This has led us to invest in wine tourism and, most recently, in herbal tea production.

The microclimate that influences the production of Alvarinho grapes is very particular. Melgaço region, the northern point of Portugal, is protected by a range of mountains that create the perfect conditions of rainfall, temperature and number of hours of sunshine needed to the better ripeness of the Alvarinho grapes. The brand name – Soalheiro - arises from the excellent sun exposure of the vineyards bearing the same name - a sunny place.

The grapes are harvested manually in boxes of small capacity and carried to the cellar in a short space of time. After the pressing and the before fermentation with controlled temperature, the must was decanted during 48 hours. Fermentation essentially takes place in stainless steel vats at a very low temperature (only 15% of the total volume ferments in used oak barrels), and fine sediments is kept until the beginning of May. Currently in the blend also include a partial aging in large oak cask.