Monção and Melgaço’s singularity can be attributed to its natural conditions — a valley surrounded by mountains, starting from the northernmost point of Portugal — and to the people who have recognised and harnessed their potential. Alvarinho became in a few decades a business pursued by the middle class. This brings about a unique culture where small parcels of land are tended to like gardens by families who, alongside their other professions, dedicate their evenings and weekends to Alvarinho, thereby earning an additional income, ensuring the viability of agriculture and preserving this distinct landscape. When observed from above, these plots resemble a patchwork quilt, each with its family history, much like that of Soalheiro. Today, the Viticulturists Club comprises over 180 families.

Monção and Melgaço’s singularity can be attributed to its natural conditions — a valley surrounded by mountains, starting from the northernmost point of Portugal — and to the people who have recognised and harnessed their potential. Alvarinho became in a few decades a business pursued by the middle class. This brings about a unique culture where small parcels of land are tended to like gardens by families who, alongside their other professions, dedicate their evenings and weekends to Alvarinho, thereby earning an additional income, ensuring the viability of agriculture and preserving this distinct landscape. When observed from above, these plots resemble a patchwork quilt, each with its family history, much like that of Soalheiro. Today, the Viticulturists Club comprises over 180 families.

At present, the goal is to establish Monção and Melgaço as a renowned destination for wine tourism and showcase the distinctiveness of this culture to the world. Acknowledging that an exceptional reality requires innovative solutions, we created a tridimensional table to explain this diversity at the winery and challenged João Bernardino and Kitato to portray our Viticulturists Club with the results being a book, a website (www.mantaderetalhos.pt) where the book is fully available and a photographic exhibition. This project is founded on the belief that preserving this culture entails sharing its narrative. The greatness of Alvarinho from Monção and Melgaço is crafted within the local community through the collaborative efforts of many, forming a patchwork quilt where each plot reflects the identity of its caretaker.