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News
Azores wines in first shipment to UK
The UK’s first shipment of wine from the Azores islands is due to arrive in the country this week, with the opportunity to increase the profile of production in this small and remote Portuguese island group.
The volcanic, wine-producing island of Pico in the Azores
Set in the mid-Atlantic, the Azores are administratively part of Portugal, and several of the islands in the archipelago produce wine, notably some modern, taut, mineral whites made from local varieties. The new shipment is being landed in the UK by importer Red Squirrel Wines.
The wines, from the new Azores Wine Company, are from wines grown on the volcanic island of Pico, and are made by winemaker António Maçanita, best known for his Fita Preta wines in Ribatejo. The the rugby playing, surfing Maçanita began looking into the potential of making experimental batches of wines on the Azores a decade ago, and after a few vintages under the Fita Preta umbrella, joined forces in 2014 with existing Pico winery Insula Vinhos to make the Azores Wine Company wines from just 12 hectares of vines, which are up to 100 years old.
More vineyards are in the pipeline as the operation looks to expand its production and further increase the profile of wines from this remote region.
Red Squirrel is introducing three wines from the Azores Wine Company, comprising two whites and one rosé, all from low-yielding UNESCO World Heritage vineyards on Pico, home to the highest mountain in Portugal, the island’s eponymous volcano. The vines here are generally low-trained bush vines, surrounded by stone walls to protect them from the harsh Atlantic winds.
The wines are Arinto dos Açores 2015 (D.O. Pico), Verdelho “O Original” 2015 (D.O. Pico), both due to retail for £28 per bottle, and Vulcânico Rosé 2015 (I.G.P. Açores) retailing at £16 per bottle.
Robert Woodhead, head buyer at Red Squirrel, said: “Few [places] are as far-flung as the Azores islands. I believe these wines, from old vines in remarkable volcanic soils, are pretty special and we can’t wait finally to get them into the UK.”