Ancient vineyards offer a true taste of the Azores

For an island known as the Treasure of the Azores, Pico does not disappoint. Explore its extraordinary lava vineyards, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for a real taste of the Azores and insight into ancient viniculture.

Dating back to the 15th Century, the vineyards of Pico are a remarkable man made landscape consisting of long linear walls of broken up basalt rock, which were built to protect the labyrinth of currais from wind and seawater. The hot, dry microclimate of Pico’s slopes and nutrient rich volcanic soil allowed the vines of the verdelho grape to flourish. The unusual conditions produced an excellent fortified wine. Over the years growers in the Azores introduced arinto and terrantez grapes and the wines today are an excellent accompaniment to local dishes of fresh fish.

Moinho do Frade, located just south of Madalena, is the UNESCO World Heritage wine growing area. Take a tour and finish at the Cooperativa Vitivinicola Winery (picowines.net) to taste their Angelica and Lajida.

How to Get There:
Destination Portugal (destination-portugal.co.uk) offers a seven night holiday in the Azores from just £931pp based on two sharing. The price includes international and domestic flights with SATA Internacional departing from Gatwick or Manchester, all transfers, accommodation at Hotel Vila Nova (B&B) on Sao Miguel for two nights and at Cancelo do Porco (SC), a group of cottages in Bandeira near Madalena on Pico, for five nights.

SATA Internacional (sata.pt) offers a weekly flight departing from London Gatwick and Manchester to Ponta Delgada on São Miguel Island with prices from £296pp return. The flight takes under four hours and includes a hot in-flight meal, bar service and a generous baggage allowance. SATA Internacional also offers the most comprehensive inter-island connections throughout the Azores archipelago and prices start from £32pp for each inter-island flight.