Soalheiro Reserva has enough character to be enjoyed with or without food. Due to its acidity and maturation in oak, it is a perfect wine to be paired with dishes traditionally more associated with red wines. When pairing with a meal, the best choices include fatty fish dishes, red meat, goat, lamb, turkey, duck, game dishes, chicken, and anything with mushrooms or in a cream sauce, but it also pairs well with Asian and Mediterranean gastronomies.

Deep and bright yellow in colour, with an intense and striking aroma, it has a broad entry on the palate, body and elegance, with a remarkable harmony between the fruit of the Alvarinho and the complexity brought by the balanced presence of the wood.

The Alvarinho grapes for Soalheiro Reserva come from vineyards in the valley, generally trained in an ascending system, exposing them to the sun and warmer temperatures. This gives the wine fewer aromatic components but more tannins and structure. This profile of Alvarinho is perfect for barrel fermentation, where the complexity associated with ageing is more important than aromatic intensity. The microclimate in this region is very particular, with mountains protecting the grapes from Atlantic influences.

The grapes are harvested by hand. After pressing, the must is clarified and then fermented with controlled temperature. Fermentation and ageing take place in French oak barrels with medium toast and a very fine grain. Each vintage, only 25% of the barrels are new. The rest are used from previous years, with some more than 20 years old. Several barrels were even used in the first experiments in 1995. Reserva ages in barrel for one year. The wine stays in contact with fine lees throughout ageing, and bâtonnage is performed to improve texture and complexity. This allows the aromatic identity of Alvarinho to be preserved, while also adding new dimension to the structure in the mouth.