Municipality of Viana do Castelo

Between the 24th and 25th of May, the Wine & Blues Festival returns to Viana do Castelo and, this year, the edition has several new features, starting with a new location – Praça da Liberdade.

A solid commitment from Viana do Castelo City Council, the Wine & Blues Festival celebrates its 6th edition this year and has established itself as a festival with an international dimension, on a journey towards consolidating the Wine Showcase and recognizing world-renowned bands. by fans of the Blues genre.

Thus, on the first night, Friday, May 24th, at 9:15 pm, The same way will take to the stage at Praça da Liberdade, followed by Kiko & The Blues Refugees at 10:30 pm. Saturday, May 25th, at 9:15 pm, Go Up Band will perform and, at 10:30 pm, Greg Copeland & Chris Wragg Blues Band.

Another new feature involves the installation of food court structures in Praça da Liberdade, where participating restaurants will offer menus prepared specifically for the festival, always accompanied by green wine. On site, the Wine Show will run, on both days, from 7:00 pm to midnight, presenting the region’s green wines.

The Councilor for Culture, Manuel Vitorino, considered that “Loureiro Vale do Lima: One Variety, One Whole Valley” is the motto of the event that aims to unite pairings, gastronomy and music. “Based on a cultural product, we want to work on the harmonization of wines, gastronomy and ‘blues’, which is a type of music that goes well in any territory”, he indicated.

Andreia Amorim, from the organization, explained that the change of location, to Praça da Liberdade, in this sixth edition, represents the installation of the festival in a space “with another potential for connecting to the riverside area and the city’s restoration”.

The Wine Show will be attended by around 14 producers, which is why the person responsible states that “Viana do Castelo is seen as the capital of a district with the capacity to be an ambassador for the region’s green wines”.

Jacques Ribeiro, from Eventos Pro-Ds, stated that the program combines “bands from Viana and international bands, also representing a meeting of generations of national bands, as it includes bands from young people and bands from veterans.”

As part of the festival, a Loureiro pairing tour will also be promoted in restaurants, bars and taverns in the city and municipality, including tapas and a glass of green wine. The Harmonization Route will run from the 18th to the 25th of May, with a single price of 5 euros for a typical snack and a glass of Loureiro Wine.

On Saturday, May 25th, starting at 6pm, the north top of Praça da Liberdade will host a gathering dedicated to the 50th anniversary of Vinho Verde, followed by a commented wine tasting of Loureiro wine by winemaker Constantino Ramos.