The president of the Association of Portuguese Wine Municipalities (AMPV) argues that viticulture and wine tourism can help retain people in the country’s rural areas and considers that the Azores are an example to follow.
“We believe that through wine culture, which is something endogenous to our territories, and through wine tourism we have the possibility of reversing [the rural exodus], of adding value to these territories, of creating conditions to retain those who are in these rural areas and even of attracting people,” said the president of AMPV, Luís Encarnação.
He was speaking in Praia da Vitória, on the island of Terceira, on the sidelines of the opening session of the European conference “Challenges and Potential of Rural Territories”, organized as part of the In Rural Connect project.
Until Saturday, around four dozen participants from Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Greece will be debating rural territories’ potential and challenges in promoting and enhancing their wine tourism offer, passing through the islands of Terceira, Faial, Pico, and São Jorge.
The president of the AMPV acknowledged that attracting new producers to vine growing is a challenge but said he believed that viticulture and wine tourism have potential in Portugal.
“When we combine wine and gastronomy, high quality accommodation, the safety and tranquillity of our territories, and when we are able to add to all this the experiences that can be had in our territories, especially in rural areas, we have the conditions to be able to contribute to developing these territories,” he said.
According to Luís Encarnação, the Azores are an example that “can be replicated in other territories”.
“We think it’s a territory of fantastic beauty, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, which has been producing high quality wine for many years and which is booming. Tourism is also booming,” he explained.


Valuing uniqueness
At the opening session, the mayor of Praia da Vitória, Vânia Ferreira, stressed that rurality is the municipality’s “identity” and that growing vines “is a niche of enormous value.”
“We know we don’t have the size for mass production, but in truth I doubt that’s the aim. The aim seems to us to be to enhance the uniqueness of a production that is rooted in ancient practices, where the ingenuity of man has made the vines sprout from the stone that guarantee them this nectar for their daily lives,” she said.
According to the mayor, wine production on Terceira Island “is not living up to the days of yesteryear”, but the producers’ resilience shows that the culture has “a secure future”.
“It is essential, even strategic, that public bodies at the most varied levels and capacities continue to guarantee the appropriate support so that this culture continues to consolidate itself as a productive sector, which not only provides some income, but also contributes decisively to the preservation of the landscape, the tourist offer and the enhancement of our territory,” she warned.
Vânia Ferreira also defended the need to value local products.
“Making a living from agriculture, livestock or vineyards can’t be the result of nostalgia, obligations or a lack of options, it has to be born and grow from a conscious option, valued both individually and by the community,” she pointed out.
“It’s strategic for the survival of our rurality that our produce finds an outlet. Consuming locally can’t just be a pretty slogan on posters,” he added.


Wine and gastronomy
Fátima Amorim, Angra do Heroísmo city council member and president of Grater, considered that the region’s “extremely high quality” wines and gastronomy could be a tourist attraction.
“Through wine tourism, we increasingly need to boost these resources, allowing tourists to get to know the vineyards up close, take part in tastings and explore the stunning landscape of our islands,” she said.
According to Fátima Amorim, enhancing viticulture, gastronomy, and wine tourism can “boost their development and contribute to job creation, the income of local communities, and the affirmation of the Azores on the national and international scene”.
However, “it is essential to invest in infrastructure, professional training, and tourism promotion to harness the full potential of these rural territories.”
“We have major challenges ahead of us, particularly in preserving our historical and cultural heritage, where we face difficulties such as a lack of skilled workers to preserve the vineyards, but also in modernizing the way we produce, grow and process grapes,” she warned.
She stressed that in the new EU framework, the Grater association intends to support the recovery of the physical heritage linked to this area, for example, by creating museums and interpretive centers.
She stressed, “We must work together to promote wine tourism in our region, promoting the vine and wine routes, encouraging the training of specialized guides, improving tourist infrastructures, and expanding the range of activities related to the world of wine.”

Keeping young people in rural areas
The vice-president of the Regional Government believes that the Azores cannot “waste the economic potential” of its rural areas and argues that the region must retain young people in its parishes.
“The present and future development of the Azores cannot waste the economic potential of its rural areas. These areas of development are also partners in land use planning, landscape conservation, job creation and population settlement,” he stressed.
He spoke in Praia da Vitória at the opening session of the European conference “Challenges and Potential of Rural Territories,” organized as part of the In Rural Connect project.
Artur Lima recalled that the Azores lost 10,300 people between 2011 and 2021, arguing that it is necessary to “keep people in rural areas and create young and qualified jobs.”
“Rural territories require a long-term vision that takes into account the challenges of improving living conditions, producers’ incomes, access to services, accessibility and the diversification of activities into new sectors. “, he stressed.
In an “increasingly urban Europe, where people are fleeing to the cities,” the vice president of the Azorean executive argues that the future of the Azores “lies in strengthening, dignifying, enriching and increasing rural populations.”
“With stronger and more prosperous rural areas, we will consolidate their productive fabric and have, for example, more products to satisfy our internal and external demand,” he said.
As for the wine sector, he highlighted the “very positive development, driven by the fourfold increase in the area of restructured vineyards suitable for certified wine.”
“The growth in vineyard area has led to an increase in the wine produced, the number of producers, brands and commercial references on the market,” he said.
According to Artur Lima, between 2020 and 2023, the number of economic operators rose from 22 to 36 on the islands of Pico, Terceira, Graciosa, and Santa Maria. The number of commercial brands doubled from 35 to 70.
“These are results that encourage us and strengthen our rural areas as far as vineyards are concerned, but they require us to continue working closely with them to make this sector even more sustainable,” he said.

in Diário Insular-José Lourenço-director

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Cultures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance)  at California State University, Fresno–PBBI thanks the sponsorship of the Luso-American Development Foundation from Lisbon, Portugal (FLAD)