The name Chapeleiro comes from the word “Hatter” in honour of Carlos Fernandes’ grandfather Belmiro who was known as the “chapeleiro” in their small village of Vilarelho, just east of Porto.

After refurbishing the family farmhouse in 2008, Carlos and his family decided to plant their first vineyard respecting the morphology and organic properties of the land. The excellent solar exposure, unique terroir bathed by the Tâmega River, and practice of organic and sustainable viticulture allows Carlos and his team to grow ripe, high quality fruit leading to wines with character, freshness and a sense of place and tradition.

We first visited on a rainy day in October 2022 and were immediately impressed by the high standards of viticulture here and also the approach to winemaking. We also loved the fact that a corner of his winery housed some sheep which are allowed to roam the vineyards. This is superb Vinho Verde in the classic style, but a million miles away from more commercial examples made in this area.