Vinho from Pico

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 We made the journey to and from the Island of Pico by ferry. As well as its volcano, Pico is known for being the main wine producing island of the Azores.

That volcano seems to attract cloud constantly, denying a view of itself and resulting, during our visit, in some rain. Many people stay on Pico with the aim of following a  guide to the summit of the volcano and the island has any number of walking trails. Obviously we walked a lot during our trip but if an island is known for its wine then it's fair to say that's what you want to see, or am I just strange?

To cope with the sea air, thin soil and wind, the island developed its own technique for growing vines in a series of  "currals" which are small rectangles or circles constructed from volcanic rock. In fact it's claimed that there are so many of these structures on Pico that if laid end to end they would stretch twice around the circumference of the Earth. The salt and mineral content of the ground is obviously responsible for the somewhat distinctive taste of the wines grown there and, because of the unique and traditional way they are produced, the landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

To be honest, at home we don't drink much wine. Potentially, retirement is too precious to spend in a sozzled state! When we were working, we viewed alcohol as a no-no from Sunday to Friday and we've pretty much stuck to a similar pattern ever since.  Mister E usually, therefore, opens a bottle on a Friday night and we finish it with our evening meal on Sunday. There's something about sea, sun and relaxation though that in our case seems to set the scene for a glass at lunchtime to complete the atmosphere. The net result was we tried plenty of local vinho but brought none home; past experience has shown that whilst we might travel, holiday wine rarely does!

 


Comments

Treaders said…
God when I think back to all the bottles of local plonk (that tasted wonderful on holiday) that sat in my cupboard for years afterwards I could probably have bought a new car with the money!
29 July 2024 at 08:47
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