Maçanita Vinhos, Douro Branco, Peso da Régua, DOP Douro, Portugal, 2022

Producer Profile

The Maçanita Vinhos project was created by characterful siblings, Joana and António Maçanita, in the Douro back in 2011.

Having worked together in over 14 wineries around the country, they wanted the new project to reflect their experiences and aspirations: lots of laughter, lots of arguments and an ethos of questioning the existing way of doing things. Over the intervening years, Maçanita Vinhos have managed to encompass the diversity of the terroir of the Douro Valley in its purest and most faithful form. The wines of Maçanita express each facet of this spectacular landscape: the “high-altitude Douro”, the “hot schist Douro”, the “cold granite Douro” all through indigenous grape varieties from old vines and a non-interventionist approach.

Viticulture

Grapes are sourced from high-altitude vineyards in the cooler zones of the Douro Valley, often over 500m above sea level. Soils are predominantly schist, bringing a clear mineral edge. Farming is sustainable, with minimal irrigation and careful canopy management to preserve aromatic brightness.

Winemaking

Grapes are hand-picked, gently pressed, and fermented with native yeasts. The wine is aged on fine lees for several months in stainless steel and used oak, giving it both precision and depth, without overt oak influence.

Tasting Note

A vibrant, textured white with Douro character and Atlantic freshness. Aromas of citrus blossom, green melon, and white plum mingle with notes of wet stone and a hint of fennel. On the palate, it’s crisp yet rounded, showing flavours of grapefruit, peach skin, and saline minerality, finishing long and pure.

Food Matching

Salt-baked sea bass, octopus with olive oil and paprika, or lemony roast chicken.