Nicolau de Almeida "Ronfe"

Vinho Verde, Portugal |  2023

The Nicolau de Almeida family is one of the most important names in Portuguese wine. Famous for their work in the Douro Valley, it was Fernando Nicolau de Almeida who helped produce the first Barca Velha, the Douro’s most iconic red wine. His son, João Nicolau de Almeida, continued the family’s excellence through meaningful contributions to the region as a whole—his study of Douro varietals, recommendations on planting and irrigation, and the introduction of one of the first internationally successful modern Douro reds in 1990 with the release of Duas Quintas.

The family’s newest project is outside the Douro, in Portugal’s other famous region, Vinho Verde. In 2022, they introduced “Ronfe” from a family property in Lousada, in the southern part of the region: a four-hectare site with granitic soils and vines between 25 and 30 years of age.

“Ronfe” is produced entirely from Trajadura (the Portuguese name for Treixadura), a grape found in Galicia—most notably in the region of Ribeiro. It doesn’t have the same level of acidity you’d find in grapes such as Alvarinho or Loureiro, the more common varieties in Vinho Verde. The Nicolau de Almeida family leans into that textural side, macerating the grapes for 24 hours before fermentation, fermenting in large Stockinger barrels, allowing malolactic fermentation, and resting the wine on its fine lees until April.

The 2023 “Ronfe” is bright, aromatic, and wonderfully pure. It opens with notes of green apple, pear skin, citrus blossom, and a gentle saline lift. On the palate, it’s crisp and linear, but not at all sharp—there’s a soft, rounded mid-palate texture that Trajadura brings so naturally. Hints of white peach, lime zest, and crushed stone carry through to a clean, mineral-driven finish. It’s refreshing, precise, and quietly complex in a way that rewards both casual sipping and closer attention.

This is the kind of bottle that belongs on the table as much as it does in the fridge door. Its brightness and subtle texture make it a natural pairing for seafood of all kinds—think crudo, grilled sardines, shrimp skewers, or simply prepared white fish.