There is now a simple sign at the beginning of the village of Provesende that says Marmelão.
It is made from a single wooden board, and the letters were painted by hand. No logo, no gloss, no design brief. Just wood, paint, and time.
The sign does one very practical thing: it tells people where we are.
But it also says something else.
A Sign Made by Hand
The board was cut, prepared, and painted slowly. The letters are not perfectly aligned. The brush marks are visible. The paint follows the grain of the wood in places and resists it in others.
That is intentional.
Marmelão is a place where things are done by hand whenever possible — not because it is romantic, but because it keeps us close to what we are doing. Making the sign myself felt like a natural extension of the work we already do in the vineyard, the cellar, and the kitchen.
At the Beginning of the Town
The sign stands right at the entrance of Provesende.
This matters. Marmelão is not hidden behind gates or down a private road. It is part of the village. The sign doesn’t pull people away from Provesende — it places Marmelão inside it.
For visitors arriving for the first time, it offers clarity and reassurance. For locals, it quietly says: this place is here, it belongs, and it is open — on its own terms.
Advertising Without Noise
The sign is not meant to attract attention from far away. It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t explain. It simply states a name.
In a region full of labels, signs, and promises, this felt like the right approach. Marmelão doesn’t need to be louder than the village. It just needs to be present and readable.
A Small Gesture That Matches the Place
Like the olive oil we don’t bottle, the pét-nat we make in small quantities, or the Saturdays we open one table at a time, the sign follows the same logic: do only what is necessary, and do it well.
Anyone can order a sign. Making one by hand takes longer. But it leaves a trace — of intention, of care, of someone being physically present.
Finding Marmelão
If you arrive in Provesende and see a wooden board with hand-painted letters at the start of the village, you’re in the right place.
That’s all the sign needs to say.
