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In my opinion, one of the most well kept secrets of Azores is the fantastic wine tasting in Pico island. Not even us, continental Portuguese, have ever heard about the Azorean wines and yet, they are making some of the best white wines in the country and visiting them is one of the best things to do in Pico island.
But before I let you know where to go wine tasting in Pico island in Azores, here are a few important pieces of information…
What to know before going for wine tasting in Pico island in the Azores
- Most of the wines produced in the Azores are white wines, mostly with three incredible native grape varieties: Arinto dos Açores, Verdelho and Terrantez. So if you are not fond of white wines, maybe wine tasting in PIco island in Azores is not the right activity for you!
- Most of the wineries are located in the West coast, and near the Atlantic Ocean (because, the closer you get to the Pico mountain, the more cloudy it gets – which is no good for grapes!).
In the Northwest coast you will find three wineries close to one another: Azores Wine Company, Pico wines and A Cerca dos Frades, whereas in the Southwest coast you will find Insula Wines, Lucas do Amaral and Adega do Vulcão. - Wine tasting in Pico island in Azores is considerably more expensive than in Continental Portugal. This happens because, due to the rugged terrain, low production per hectare of vines, and scarce labor, the Azorean wines are scarce and expensive.
This shouldn’t deter you from going wine tasting in Pico island in Azores – on the contrary, it should give you a greater appreciation for the grit of the people from Pico, who are able to make fantastic wines from stones!
Wine tasting in Pico island in the Azores: the top places
Azores Wine Company
As I regularly take clients (on my wine tours) to Joana Maçanita’s winery in the Douro Valley, I had high expectations for the Azores Wine Company, a project of her brother António in partnership with two others,, and luckily I was not disappointed.
In the middle of the protected landscape of the Pico vineyards, with their tiny volcanic stone corrals, a building naturally rises, that is, at the same time, a wine cellar, a wine tasting room and a small hotel with a restaurant.
(By the way, if you still haven’t decided where to stay in Pico I strongly recommend that you to stay at Azores Wine Company because you will have a truly unique experience, sleeping in its magnificent vineyards).
Azores Wine Company offers two options: wine tasting with or without a visit to the winery, depending on what you prefer You can choose to do one of the predefined wine tastings (with prices between 30€ and 50€) or you can order a wine by the glass, as you prefer. You can also order a board of the best cheeses of the Azores and regional jams.
Schedules: every day of the week, at 14h, 15h, 16h and 17h.
Prices: the prices of the wine tastings without the visit to the winery range from 30€/person (for a tasting of three wines) to 45€/person. If you want to include a visit to the winery, then the prices range from 50€/person (for 3 single graped wines) to 75€/person (for 5 wines).
How to book your wine tasting: you can book it directly on António Maçanita’s website.
A Cerca dos Frades
After visiting the Azores Wine Company I asked for recommendations of who to visit next and they told me to talk to Tito, the owner of A Cerca dos Frades. And I am SO HAPPY that I did it because Tito is a wonderful, wonderful host who immediately took me on his pick up for a fabulous drive inside his property.
Tito explained everything from the history of wine production in Pico to the unique terroir of this island in Azores to family stories that made my visit even more special. And then, at a gorgeous viewpoint inside his winery, he picked up a bottle of wine from his pick up (which I hadn’t noticed before!) and we had a fairytale wine toast. Fabulous!
Later, he took me to a cute little room by the ocean – a traditional “adega” in Pico, small basalt houses by the sea where wine is aged and memorable dinners are held with friends.
There, we did our wine tasting and let me tell you, the wines from Cerca dos Frades are exquisite – salty and mineral, but well balanced and easy to drink.
If weather permits, you can have the wine tasting at A Cerca dos Frades outdoors, a few meters away from the Atlantic Ocean. It is truly magic and a truly unique experience.
Prices: the prices of the wine tastings at A Cerca dos Frades frange from 37€ (for 3 wines) to 44€ (for 3 wines). During the summer months, you can also order by the glass. You can also take a guided tour of the vineyards, lasting half an hour, for a mere extra €11 – and I HIGHLY recommend this visit because without understanding the viticulture that is practiced on Pico Island you will never be able to properly appreciate the region’s wines.
How to book your wine tasting: send an email to geral@titos.pt or a message on their Instagram page. You can also call one of these phone numbers: +351916466098 or +351292644072.
Insula Wines
If Tito is the great ambassador of the vines in Pico, Paulo Machado is the magician winemaker behind both Insula Wines and A Cerca do Frades, resulting in sophisticated, balanced white wines that age beautifully in the bottle.
Paulo Machado is a man of few words and great talent, and it was great to be shown around his property in the southwest area of the island, where he taught me about the unique terroir of Pico, which makes for higher saltiness and acidity in the wines.
He also showed me the tiny apartments he has for rent inside his property, overlooking both the vines and the Atlantic Ocean.
Schedules: From Tuesdays to Sundays, from 15h30 to 19h00.
Prices: these wine tastings in Pico island in Azores range from 20€ (three wines) to 45€ (four wines). I particularly like this 4 wines experience since it includes 2 wines from Insula Wines, 1 from A Cerca do Frades and another one from Graciosa island.
How to book your wine tasting: send an email to insulavinus@gmail.com.
Passado Wine tasting in Pico island: Czar Winery
If you want to do a completely out-of-the-box wine tasting experience in Pico island, then head straight to Czar Winery, the last winery producing vinho passado in the Azores. It’s difficult to explain vinho passado, but if I had to I guess I would say that it’s a crossing between a Late Harvest (Sauternes) in terms of flavor and a Port wine in terms of alcohol content (almost 20%, sometimes even higher). It’s a very, very special type of wine.
It remained a part of the Azorean history thanks to the tenacity and talented hand of Fortunato Garcia, who promised his father that he would take his wine worldwide and charge hundreds of euros per bottle.
Fortunato is a talented storyteller, a person who took me on a journey through the history of his wine and his family for hours on end, while I enjoyed his wines.
Schedules: Fortunato is also a teacher so he conducts wine tastings every other day or so. Don’t just show up at the Czar Winery, as the doors will be closed!
Prices: around 50€ / glass and totally worth it, considering that each bottle of the Czar wine costs, these days, hundreds of euros.
How to book your wine tasting: call Fortunato on his phone number: +351914253646. He speaks perfect English.
Solar Terra Brum (Adega do Vulcão)
Adega do Vulcão was born from a love story between a Florentine couple and the Azores. Their first steps in wine started on Faial island, where the dramatic eruption of Capelinhos in 1957 had left behind black volcanic soils rich in ash and sand. In 2015, Cinzia Caiazzo and Gianni Mancassola planted their first vines there, choosing native grapes like Arinto dos Açores, Verdelho and Terrantez do Pico.
Not long after, the project expanded across the channel to Pico. In 2017, they began restoring old vineyards in the UNESCO World Heritage area of Criação Velha and set up their winery in São Mateus. Today, Adega do Vulcão looks after around 14 hectares split between Faial and Pico, producing small-batch wines that really show the contrast between the two volcanic landscapes.
The tasting room is rustic and artisanal, with a charming patio that makes it a lovely spot to enjoy their wines.
Schedules: Monday to Saturday, from noon to 19h.
Prices: standard tasting for 30€ (3 wines) and a premium tasting for 65€ (6 wines).
How to book your wine tasting: send an email to enoturismo@adegadovulcao.com or call the number +351913009748.
Pico Wines
Adega Cooperativa do Pico is probably the oldest wine producer in Pico island, and this can be seen on the somewhat dilapidated walls of the main building. However, we quickly forget about that thanks to the kindness of Carmén and Filipa, who welcomed us with open arms, explaining not only the wines to be tasted but also the entire history of wine production on the island of Pico. It is fascinating!
Another interesting thing at Adega Cooperativa do Pico, where you can do one of the best wine tastings on Pico Island in the Azores, is the fact that you can taste a wide variety of wines, from white and Rosé wines to red, sparkling and even liqueur wines. aged.
Last but not the least, even though wines in Açores are generally speaking quite expensive compared to the wines from Continental Portugal, the wine tastings at Adega Cooperativa do Pico are actually fairly priced and cheaper than all the other wine tastings in Pico island in Azores.
Schedules: Monday to Friday, at 11h, 12h, 14h, 15h and 16h.
Prices: it depends on the wine tasting that you choose, but it ranges from 15€ / person (3 wines) to 50€ / person (9 wines). You can complement the wine tasting with a cheese board for an extra 12€.
How to book your wine tasting: send an email to enoturismo@picowines.com or call them on +351912533243.
Lucas Amaral
If you ask anyone here about where to go wine tasting in Pico island in Azores, the first answer is going to be: “Lucas Amaral”. And indeed, Lucas has a story well worth telling.
In the spring of Lucas’s 19th birthday, he discovered that the usual buyer of his Fernão Pires grapes would not proceed with the purchase. Instead of panicking, Lucas got to work and decided to produce his own wines that same year.
With the technical help of other local wine producers and the support of the family, that same year, he launched several wines, as well as a small wine tourism room, resulting from the renovation of his great-grandfather’s old cellar.
In this room in front of the ocean, with capacity for 24 people, Lucas’ mother will welcome you for a wine tasting in Pico island in Azores, that can be paired with homemade tapas, like cheese boards and Portuguese sausages, grilled limpets or crabs with corn bread or simply cookies with jam.
Schedules: everyday (including Saturdays and Sundays) from 14h30 to 18h00.
Prices: it ranges from 20€ (three entry level wines) to 25€ (five wines). You can add a cheese, honey and bread board for an extra 12€ / person.
How to book your wine tasting: call them on +351961664837 or send an email to adegavitilucasa@sapo.pt
