Melgaço and the neighbouring municipality of Monção are the heartland of Alvarinho, the grape variety that produces some of Portugal's finest white wines. The steep-sided Minho valley, with its granitic soils and Atlantic-influenced climate, gives Alvarinho wines from this sub-region a distinctive mineral intensity and aromatic complexity that distinguishes them from the broader Vinho Verde category.
You can visit the vineyards on foot from the town — the slopes around Melgaço are covered with low-trained vines in the traditional style. Most of the local restaurants and the Friday market sell estate-bottled Alvarinho; asking for a local recommendation is the best way to explore. Several quinta do area offer cellar visits and tastings by appointment.