A grape variety from Minho, Vinhão is also known as “Negrão”, “Negrão Pé de Perdiz”, “Espadeiro Preto”, “Tinto da Parada”, “Pinta Fêmea”, among other synonyms. It later spread to the Douro, where it was called Sousão; in other regions of Portugal – Trás-os-Montes, Alentejo and the Algarve – it has been planted and cultivated out of curiosity and experience and always in minority proportions.

It is also present in Spain, more specifically in Galicia (Sousón), in the sub-regions of DO Monterrei, Valdeorras, Rias Baixas and, in particular, in Condado do Tea and O Rosal, closer to the border of the River Minho. The production of Vinhão has gone beyond the territorial limits of the Iberian Peninsula and can be found in Australia, California and South Africa, where it is generally used to produce liqueur wines, although in statistical data it is included in the broad category of “other grape varieties”.

It is the most widely cultivated red grape variety in the Vinho Verde region and is recommended for the whole of the region, although it is more widely grown in the sub-regions of Lima, Basto and Ave. The Tâmega valley, with its great thermal amplitudes and protection from the Atlantic influence, is one of the privileged terroirs for expressing all the enormous potential of this variety

It gives rise to wines with high acidity, vinous, full-bodied and intense red color, opaque to light. Vinhão’s bunches are medium-sized, as are its bluish-black berries. Color is, in fact, one of its main characteristics, and it is often considered to be a “dyeing” grape variety, although there are also divergent opinions on this matter. In any case, its migration to the Douro region at the end of the 18th century was due, among other properties, to the intensity of its color, making it an essential grape variety for giving “good color” to Port wine and as an alternative to elderberries. For the more traditionalists, Vinhão is still drunk in white or light-colored “malgas” (sort of bowl), precisely for a better appreciation of its color; the more of a mark it leaves or, rather, the more it “paints”, the higher the quality of the wine.

Its consumption, in single-varietal or single-cask wines, is inextricably linked to a strong and distinctive regional cuisine, such as lamprey, “rojões”, “arroz de cabidela” and, especially during the popular festivities in June, grilled sardines. In blended wines, it shows its versatility, presenting itself as a excellent alternative for accompanying lighter dishes.

At Quinta da Raza, the cultivation of Vinhão seeks to reconcile modern techniques with tradition. It is harvested exclusively by hand in the morning and in small boxes with a maximum capacity of 20 kg. Winemaking follows the traditional method, with treading in granite “lagares” where alcoholic fermentation takes place at controlled temperatures.

There are four wines in our portfolio that you can enjoy or, if you wish, get to know this unique grape variety.: QUINTA DA RAZA VINEYARDS COLLECTION VINHA DE CERDEIREDO, DOM DIOGO VINHÃO, TINTO NAT, PET-NAT ROSÉ e RAZA ROSÉ.

O DOM DIOGO and TINTO NAT, single varietals, made exclusively from the Vinhão grape variety, they are red, full-bodied, soft and dry wines, full of dark red fruit flavors such as blackberries and plums. The adoption of the traditional winemaking method means that they are subject to a deposit. In the two rosés, Vinhão is paired with other grape varieties: in the PET-NAT ROSÉ with Padeiro (outra casta nativa de Basto), originating a refreshing wine with a fine, persistent bubble resulting from the natural gas captured at the end of fermentation in the bottle, and with a taste of wild raspberries and strawberries; in the RAZA ROSÉ, nn addition to Padeiro, Vinhão is combined with Espadeiro to produce a fresh and crisp wine, ideal as an aperitif or to accompany light meals. In QUINTA DA RAZA VINEYARDS COLLECTION VINHA DE CERDEIREDO a wine with two years of pre-bottling aging, Vinhão joins a wide variety of grape varieties that were part of the Quinta’s collection before the vineyards were restructured, and shows a more evolved and elegant character.

To quote José Diogo Teixeira Coelho, owner and director of Quinta da Raza, “A good red Vinho Verde Vinhão is a wine like no other”.