The Pico Island Wine Cooperative – Picowines is celebrating 75 years of history this year.
To mark this special date, it presented its latest wine—Arinto dos Açores 2020 Garrafeira—at an exclusive pre-launch event held in July at the Picowines winery. Alongside this new, limited-edition reference, the Azorean producer will also present other novelties and initiatives until the end of the year as part of its 75th-anniversary celebrations.
“The Cooperativa Vitivinícola da Ilha do Pico, which is of great economic importance on this island in the Azores, as well as throughout the region and the country, turns 75 this year, an extremely important milestone for our team, which is committed on a daily basis to the success and development of this brand that we are so proud of. The resilience and commitment put into the work carried out over all these years have been essential to achieving all the goals we have set for Picowines,” says Losménio Goulart, President of the Pico Island Wine Cooperative – Picowines, quoted in a press release sent to the press.
“This Arinto dos Açores 2020 Garrafeira, presented in July as a pre-launch, has a very small production of 1,746 bottles and is a very special limited edition, designed to mark the 75th anniversary. Alongside this great novelty, we will also have other initiatives taking place until the end of 2024, a very special year for us, as we focus daily on producing distinctive wines that pay homage to the territory,” he added in the same document.

According to the information provided, this wine, made from carefully selected grapes from the centenary vineyards of Criação Velha, exclusively from the Arinto variety from the Azores, after destemming, spent three days in cold maceration with the skins where it began fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Fermentation continued and was finished in a French oak vat, and the wine was aged on its fine lees for 8 months. It was bottled in July 2021 and then aged in a bottle for almost 3 years.
With a greenish-yellow hue, the Arinto dos Açores 2020 Garrafeira has an aroma of fresh grapefruit, araçá, and lime, as well as some notes of gunpowder and sulfur, seaweed, and sea air. On the palate, it is very fresh and mineral and shows several layers during the tasting. It’s a full and enveloping wine, which ends with a long and very salty finish. With the aim of going back to its origins, the image of this wine was inspired by the old verdelhos do Pico, more particularly the Pico aperitif wine, whose label was yellow and red and also had a choker.
This reference, commemorating the Cooperative’s 75th anniversary and retailing at 52 euros, can be found in the main wine stores in Portugal and in the Picowines store in the Azores.
Alongside the launch of this new reference and other news that will be announced soon, the Azorean producer is also presenting a partnership with Luís Filipe Borges. The comedian was chosen as the Cooperative’s digital ambassador because of his connection and passion for the island. In addition to social media, he will also be part of and supported by Picowines in his debut as a director on the big screen. This partnership comes as part of the growing focus on digital and aims to win over new consumers.

According to the producer, the Cooperativa Vitivinícola da Ilha do Pico is focused on developing the wine production process to make it an increasingly high-quality benchmark. The largest and oldest wine producer in the Azores combines tradition, innovation, and excellence uniquely, intending to produce unique wines that pay tribute to the region’s essence. With continued respect for the way its ancestors made wine, which it now combines with the irreverence of new knowledge and an appreciation of excellence, the Picowines brand has been conquering more and more markets, particularly in Asia and Northern Europe, with its wines sold in 15 countries, especially in the American and European markets.

How it all began…

The Pico Island Wine Cooperative (Picowines) was founded in 1949 by 21 founders. After a period of preparation and organization, followed by the construction of its headquarters, the Adega Cooperativa began production in 1961 with the noble grape varieties Verdelho, Arinto, and Terrantez do Pico. CVIP’s first wine, named “Pico,” was launched on the market in 1965.
According to the company, some obstacles to the production of Pico wines arose. In the context of wanting to recover a past that had once been one of splendor and glory, the Pico cooperative was created in Madalena. In 1972, it became evident that wine would also have to be produced from red grapes and American varieties for reasons of profitability. Thus, new wines were created that also marked the history of Pico.
Mia says that the arrival of winemaker Bernardo Cabral in 2017 marked a new stage in the life of these wines, as the first single varietals were introduced, taking on the volcanic terroir of Pico’s wines. Currently, the Pico Cooperative has 270 members. It is led by Losménio Goulart, who says he has been concerned “with promoting the wine production process, making it an increasingly high-quality reference.”

In Correio dos Açores- Natalino Viveirs, director

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.