Melgaco's defining annual festival pairs the Alvarinho heartland's flagship grape with the smoked-meat fumeiro tradition of the Minho. Producer stands pour single-vineyard Alvarinho and sparkling Bruto Nature alongside fumeiro tents under the granite walls of the old town.
Tip: The festival runs across three weekends in April; combine the festival with the Open Cellars edition for cellar visits at Soalheiro and Reguengo.
A partnership between the CVRVV and the Moncao and Melgaco municipalities opens cellar doors across the Alvarinho heartland for one weekend in spring. Visitors taste through the sub-region by drop-in cellar visits with a single passport.
Tip: Buy the passport in advance through the CVRVV; some larger quintas (Soalheiro, Anselmo Mendes) limit walk-ins on the weekend.
An equestrian and agriculture fair at the Expolima fairground in Ponte de Lima, with five days of horse competitions, regional food stands and Lima-valley Loureiro pours. The 2026 edition runs 2 to 5 July at Expolima.
Tip: Combine the fair with a Lima-valley quinta loop including Aphros and Quinta do Ameal; Ponte de Lima is the natural overnight.
Authorised by King Peter IV on 5 May 1826, Feiras Novas runs on the second weekend of September in honour of Nossa Senhora das Dores. Grilled sardines, riverbank stalls and Vinho Verde fill the medieval town through three days of fairs and processions.
Tip: It coincides with the Loureiro harvest; pair the festival with a Lima-valley quinta visit and stay overnight in the historic centre of Ponte de Lima.
Portugal's flagship wine fair fills the Palacio da Bolsa in Porto with around 4,000 wines from more than 400 producers, with the Vinho Verde tables clustered around the Minho hall. The closest national platform for the region's producers.
Tip: Plan a Vinho Verde-only afternoon: walk Soalheiro, Anselmo Mendes, Aphros, Quinta do Ameal and Aveleda back to back in the Minho hall.
Around Saint Martin's Day on 11 November, Minho villages light bonfires, roast chestnuts and tap the first young Vinhao of the new vintage in the magusto feast.
Tip: Seek out village tascas around Barcelos and Ponte de Lima for the most authentic magusto; the agua-pe and roast chestnuts are home-made.