Azores Wine Company Terrantez do Pico 2023

Azores Wine Company Terrantez do Pico is a rare, distinctive white made from one of Portugal's most unusual volcanic-island terroirs.

Grown on the island of Pico in the Azores, a UNESCO World Heritage vineyard landscape where vines are sheltered within low, hand-built basalt stone walls known as currais to protect them from Atlantic winds, the wine is made from the indigenous Terrantez do Pico grape, a variety with deep historical roots in Azorean viticulture. Azores Wine Company was founded by winemaker António Maçanita and agronomist Filipe Rocha to revive and champion the islands' near-forgotten winemaking heritage, farming vines rooted directly in volcanic basalt soil.

This is a taut, saline island white, ideal for adventurous drinkers and seafood-led meals.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.

Type: White Wine
Style: Light-bodied, Taut, Saline
Grape Varietal: Terrantez do Pico
Tastes Like: Comparable to a bone-dry Sauvignon Blanc, but saltier and far more mineral, with a distinctly volcanic edge
Alcohol Percentage: 12.5%
Closure: Cork
Size: 750mL
Appellation: Açores, Portugal
Region: Pico, Azores, Portugal
Terroir: Vines rooted directly in volcanic basalt, sheltered within hand-built currais walls in a UNESCO World Heritage vineyard landscape
Aging: Vinified to preserve the tension and salinity of the volcanic island site
Serving Temperature: 8–10℃ – Serve well chilled

Azores Wine Company was founded by winemaker António Maçanita and agronomist Filipe Rocha to revive and champion the islands’ near-forgotten winemaking heritage, farming vines rooted directly in volcanic basalt soil.

The wine is grown on the island of Pico in the Azores, a UNESCO World Heritage vineyard landscape where vines are sheltered within low, hand-built basalt stone walls known as currais to protect them from Atlantic winds. It is made from the indigenous Terrantez do Pico grape, a variety with deep historical roots in Azorean viticulture and one that came close to disappearing altogether before growers began working to bring it back.

Seafood: Perfect with limpets, oysters, clams, prawns or barnacles
Fish: Excellent with grilled tuna, sea bass or salt cod
Shellfish: Pairs beautifully with octopus, squid or crab
Aperitif: Ideal well chilled on its own or with salted almonds

Queijo São Jorge: The Azorean island cheese, firm and piquant beside the wine’s salinity
Queijo do Pico: Soft and salty, from the same island as the vineyards
Fresh Goat Cheese: Bright and lactic, complementing the wine’s acidity
Manchego Semi-Curado: Firm and nutty, balancing the wine’s mineral tension

Lapas Grelhadas (Azorean Grilled Limpets with Garlic Butter)

Ingredients (Serves 4 as a starter):

• 1kg fresh limpets in the shell, well rinsed
• 100g butter, softened
• 4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
• Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 small dried chilli, crumbled
• 2 lemons, one juiced and one cut into wedges
• Coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper
• Crusty bread, to serve

Instructions:

1. Rinse the limpets thoroughly in cold water to remove any grit, then drain and pat dry.
2. Beat the butter with the garlic, parsley, crumbled chilli and a little lemon juice until soft and evenly green.
3. Arrange the limpets shell side down on a very hot griddle, grill plate or barbecue, keeping them level so the juices stay in the shell.
4. Cook for two to three minutes until the flesh loosens and turns opaque.
5. Drop a small knob of the garlic butter into each shell and let it melt into the juices.
6. Grill for a further minute, no longer, or the limpets will toughen.
7. Season with coarse salt and cracked pepper.
8. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and bread to soak up the butter.

The signature dish of the Azores, eaten straight from the shell in seafront bars across the islands. The pairing works because both come from the same place: the wine’s salinity and volcanic edge echo the sea character of the limpets, while its sharp acidity cuts the garlic butter cleanly.