The Pico IPR is a

Portuguese wine Portuguese wine was mostly introduced by the Romans and other ancient Mediterranean peoples who traded with local coastal populations, mainly in the South. In pre-Roman Gallaecia-Lusitania times, the native peoples only drank beer and were unfam ...

region located on the island of Pico in the

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Port ...

archipelago of the

Azores ) , motto= ( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem=( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...

. The region is designated a second-tier '' Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada'' (IPR) classification, and potentially may be reclassified as a product of Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC). The region is primarily known for

fortified wine Fortified wine is a wine to which a distilled spirit, usually brandy, has been added. In the course of some centuries, winemakers have developed many different styles of fortified wine, including port, sherry, madeira, Marsala, Comma ...

s and historically for the UNESCO designation associated with the Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture.

History

It is assumed that Franciscan friars brought the first grapes into the lands of Pico during the period of settlement and discovery. This clerics originally constructed churches and imported wine, essential in the celebration of masses through the archipelago. After verifying that the climatic conditions were comparable to Sicilly, they began to import various plants and wine castes, in particular, Verdelho. The vine began to proliferate easily throughout the island. Quickly, the wine produced turned famous and began to be exported into northern Europe and Russia. With a climate characterized by weak temperature oscillation and elevated precipitation, and distributed throughout the year, allowed the production of white liqueur wines. This wine resulted from the grapes produced predominantly in the ''Lajido'' soils of the parishes. The basalt rocks are gathered together to form walls of loose volcanic rock, that protect the vines, that grow as high as above sea level. This tradition, which first began on Pico and that continues today was behind the designation of Pico's Vineyard Culture as a UNESCO Heritage Site.

Geography

The geographic area of the IPR covers the municipalities of Madalena (specifically the

civil parishes In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below district ...

of Madalena, Candelária, Criação Velha and Bandeiras),

São Roque do Pico São Roque do Pico () is a municipality in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, occupying most of the northern side of the island of Pico. As of 2021, it has 3,221 inhabitants spread through five freguesias (civil parishes) in an area of 14 ...

(parishes of Santa Luzia, Prainha and the locality of Baía de Canas), and

Lajes do Pico Lajes do Pico () is a town and municipality in the central Azores. It is one of three municipalities of the island of Pico. It has 4,342 inhabitants as of 2021, in an area of 155.31 km2. It is bordered by Madalena to the west and by São Roque ...

(specifically in the parishes of Piedade, and the localities of Engrade and Manhenha), as well as areas throughout the island above sea level.

Grapes

The Pico IPR wine is commonly a white liqueur wine produced from grapes grown on rocky soils, located near the western coast of the island of Pico.Maria João Fernão-Pires, ed., (2011), p.259 The area of vine is quite reduced; vines are divided in tiny plots, called ''currais'', edged by walls made of loose pebbles, with the purpose of protecting the plants from the wind. The principle grapes of the Pico region include Arinto, Terrantez and

Verdelho Verdelho is a white wine grape grown throughout Portugal, though most associated with the island of Madeira, and also gives its name to one of the four main types of Madeira wine. At the turn of the 20th century it was the most widely planted whi ...

References

;Notes ;Sources * {{coord missing, Portugal Wine_regions_of_Portugal

History

Geography

Grapes

See also

References