2020 | Azores Wine Company | Vinha Centenaria Branco

The palate is creamy and full-bodied with notes of peach kernel, marmalade and smoked salt.

Producer Information

Portuguese winemaker António Maçanita (also the winemaker at FitaPreta in the Alentejo) founded Azores Wine Company in 2014 with his two partners, Paulo Machado and Filipe Rocha. Their sustainably-grown vineyards are less than 50m from the Atlantic, with truly breathtaking views. Arinto dos Açores is a grape variety indigenous to the Azores that shares the acidity and potential for longevity of the mainland variety that shares its name, however, the two are not related. The characteristics of the grape variety, coupled with Pico’s unique terroir, impart incredible minerality, purity and unmistakable salinity to the wine. The Portuguese archipelago of the Azores is home to a winemaking tradition that dates back to its colonization in the 15th century, wherein viticulture was introduced by Franciscan friars. This group of islands is home to a singular terroir and microclimate, one that draws close comparison to the island of Santorini. Like Santorini, the Azores are volcanic islands comprised entirely of black basalt. Pico, the main wine producing island where these vineyards are located, has such poor soil that the vineyard needs to be supplemented with soil from neighboring islands to support vine growth , and even with that, the yields are a fraction of what they are in the rest of the DOC. Additionally, the vineyards are grown in tiny plots (2-6 bush trained vines per square) protected on all sides by small walls called “currais” to ward off the strong winds that blow in from the north Atlantic, mere steps from the vineyards. At its peak, Pico was home to over 6,000 hA of vineyards. These are still there today, but are for the most part grown over by forests – only a handful of small family-owned vineyards remain outside the production of 3 main producers. Of these, Azores Wine Company is the clear leader at 116 hA of recovered vines. Before phylloxera hit in the mid 19th century, the Azores were one of the most prolific growing areas in Europe. In 1852, total production was over 10,000,000 liters. By 1859, that production level was less than 25000 liters. As a stopgap, Isabella was planted. Since it is a hybrid of Vitis Vinifera and Vitis Labrusca (related to the “fox grapes” of the American South), it is resistant to phylloxera, and became a mainstay for rustic “house wine” production on the island. António has rescued an old plot of this unique varietal for a passion project, to show that this grape is capable of making spectacular wine. What makes the Azores Wine Company unique? Their micro-production wines from the tiny island of Pico in the Azores is grown in volcanic basalt at sea level, less than 50m from the Atlantic. These wines are produced by one of the most talented winemakers of Portugal today, António Maçanita and 100+ vines lend concentration and intensity.

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