Ponte de Lima sits in the middle of the sub-region that produces some of Portugal's most distinctive wines: Minho vinho verde, the light, slightly sparkling, often white wine that is drunk young and cold. The word verde — green — refers not to the colour but to the wine's youth; it is bottled within months of harvest. Local red vinho verde, rarely exported, is astringent and bracingly tart, an acquired taste that locals drink by the litre.
The countryside around town is planted with vines trained up tall granite pillars or along wire pergolas, giving the landscape a distinctive layered appearance. Many quintas (wine estates) in the municipality offer tastings, and the tourist office can advise on visiting producers. The best wines from the area use the Alvarinho grape (called Albariño across the border in Galicia) and are worth seeking out.