Our story
Wine rooted in its landscape
Verdevin began with a simple puzzlement: why are the wines people drink in northern Portugal so hard to find back home? Not the big, familiar names — but the wines from the smaller estates, where the family works the rows themselves, and where the vintage is plain to taste from bottle to bottle.
Vinho Verde — the freshness of the north
Vinho Verde is not a grape but a place. It lies at the far north-west of Portugal, where the Atlantic cools the vineyards and rain falls more often than in the rest of the country. That is exactly what gives the wines their signature: low alcohol, high acidity and a freshness that is the signature of the region.
The grapes have names few people know: Loureiro, named after the bay laurel, with white flowers, lime and green apple — and Alvarinho, the same grape as Spanish Albariño, with its concentration and scent of stone fruit. The estate we buy from lies in Cávado, one of the places Loureiro calls home.
Quinta de Ballão — the estate behind the wines
The earliest references to the estate date from the 16th century, when Afonso Gonçalves established the Morgadio de Balão, then under the name Quinta da Capela de Balão. It is believed that this original chapel is what gave the estate its name. By law the estate was a majorat — an inheritance that passed to the eldest son.
One of the heirs, Caetano de Mendanha, died in a duel that grew out of a romantic dispute, and left no descendants. The estate covered more than 100 hectares — exceptional for the Vinho Verde region — and in 1822 it was split into several plots and sold at public auction.
The old manor house, with the thick granite walls typical of rural architecture in north-western Portugal, is the estate's headquarters today.
Since 1974 the estate has belonged to the Novais Miranda family. Straight after buying it, the family made replanting the vineyards and restoring the house and chapel its priority. That gave the centuries-old manor new life and made it ready to host festive events. Today the estate covers 22 hectares, mostly vineyards and forest, and makes a range of still and sparkling wines.
Straight from the estate
We buy directly from the producer. There are no middlemen and no stories that do not hold up. It also means the range shifts: when a vintage has been drunk, it is gone until the next one is ready.
Simple quality
We have no ambition to carry everything. We would rather carry a few wines we can stand behind, and tell you about them properly — where they come from, what they taste of, and what they go with. Honest wine, no noise.