Vinhos, a local Merced business owned by Californians with Azorean roots, Michelle Rosa and André Santos, have just seen their business featured on ABC30 in Fresno. The business is truly an innovation in the Portuguese-American world and has promoted Portuguese and Azorean wines and our culinary traditions. Here is the KFSN story and the television news segment link. We congratulate Michelle and André, and NOVIDADES will continue sharing stories of Portuguese-American businesses featured in the mainstream press. Azorean-Americans have contributed immensely to the social, cultural and business fabric of the Central Valley.
MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) — Whether you’re a fan of reds, whites, roses, or bubbly, a Merced wine bar has a selection pleasing to every wine lover’s palette.
“It’s relaxing, it’s soothing, and once this is full and the lights are on, the wine is flowing, the music is going, the ambiance is spectacular,” says Co-owner Michelle Rosa.
Located on Main Street in Downtown Merced, Vinhos Wine Lounge and Tapas offers more than 100 labels of wine, representing wine regions from around the world, craft beer, and wine cocktails. “We wanted to get a little bit of that urban chic feel,” Rosa said.
With international bites to pair, tapas are Mediterranean with Portuguese influence. “We have exceptional plates that we serve — the sea legs, the windmill, our charcuterie boards are some of our best items as well,” Rosa said.
Having spent decades living in the Azores, owners Rosa and Andre Santos say they wanted to bring their clients a taste of home.
“Our homes always had wine at the table, so what we’re doing here besides a nice feeling is good food and good wine,” Santos said.
The lounge hosts pop-up paint and sip nights and live entertainment on weekends,
ranging from jazz music to comedy shows. “There’s a little more of a focus on an acoustic and jazzy feel,” Santos said.
A gentle reminder that October is our annual Crowdfunding event. We have a goal of 22 thousand dollars to assist with the multitude of projects we have going on, from Oral history collection to producing documentation on the Portuguese-American experience in Central California, from our speaker and conference series to Bruma Publications, from the Cagarro Colloquium to the Alfred Lewis Bilingual Reading Series, from this NOVIDADES news platform to FILAMENTOS, arts, and letters in the Azorean Diaspora, from ADAM (Azores Diaspora Media Alliance) to the implementation of a Diaspora Forum. Please donate. With your help, this community-based grassroots fundraiser can reach our goal of 22 thousand dollars by October 31. Thanks so much. Here is the link. If you prefer to donate with a check, please make the checks to Fresno State Foundation and mail them to Diniz Borges, 1418 Clarete Avenue, Tulare-CA 93274.
Novidades - The Islands and the Diaspora 