The melon and vinho verde festival returns to Famalicão this Friday. From 2 to 4 August, the Praça-Mercado Municipal will host shows, workshops, showcooking and areas for selling and tasting oak-peeled melons, vinho verde and smoked products.
And while this event is designed to get Famalicenses to savour melon, vinho verde and smoked products, Verde Melão also promotes the municipality's delicacies. One of the delicacies featured in this market of flavours is the green wine from Casa de Compostela, produced in Requião and mostly sold to the Portuguese. In addition to the wine, the famous oak-peeled melons, such as those produced by the Martins family in Brufe and Cavalões, are not to be missed.
For Joaquim Dias, technical director of Casa Agrícola de Compostela, taking part in Verde Melão helps Famalicenses get to know the wines produced in the municipality and learn about the different products. "Verde Melão helps us publicise our wines so that when people see our products on the supermarket shelves they know where they come from," he explained.
"We want people to come [to the Market Square], we want to show and taste our wines" - this is the only way that people will come to value local products, emphasised Joaquim Dias. In addition, the event also brings recognition to the municipality, said the technical director: Verde Melão "makes the municipality known as a producer of good melons and good wines".
In addition to Famalicão, the Martins family's melons are sold in various parts of the northern region, such as Braga, Guimarães and Vila Verde. According to producer Ricardo Martins, the people of Famalicão really appreciate his products and regular customers make a point of visiting Verde Melão.
Between Friday and Sunday, it's certain that everyone will have the opportunity to savour a fresh slice of one of the Martins family's oak-peeled melons at Verde Melão. However, Ricardo is looking forward to making contact with customers from outside the municipality and taking them to experience his products. "This event is a way for us to publicise and make ourselves known," he said. And although they're in a family atmosphere, with traditional music and friendly traders, the demands are maintained. "We have to bring good melons, because people want to see our quality," and only then will they want to come back and buy our products, he added.
The Martins family has melon plantations spread over six and a half hectares of land in the municipality. Moreover, when Ricardo and André, the brothers responsible for selling and raising this fruit, say where they're from, customers already know that the melons are good, because "Famalicão has excellent quality and good producers".
As well as the Martins family's fruit, Joaquim Gonçalves will also be bringing oak-peeled melons. Frutivinhos and Vinhos Castros are other vinho verde brands that visitors to Verde Melão will be able to discover. The smoked sausages come from Talho Divino Salvador, Fumeiro do Fernando and Rosa Mendes' business.
During the three days of the event, in the Praça-Mercado Municipal, chef Álvaro Costa will be responsible for organising showcooking sessions. The cookery shows are scheduled for 18h00 every day.
As for cultural entertainment, fado will be at the market on the 1st at 21h30. The following day, the Cantares ao Desafio are scheduled for 16h30 and at 21h30 it will be the turn of the H1 Band to perform at the Verde Melão. Sunday will also feature various activities. At 16h30, Famalicenses can once again follow the Cantares ao Desafio. After the showcooking, the market will host Guimafloyd - Tribute to Pink Floyd, at 19h30. The festivities end on Friday and Saturday at 1 AM, and on Sunday at 21h00.
Verde Melão is organised by the Vila Nova de Famalicão municipality. The full programme can be consulted at www.famalicao.pt.
