If Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s visit to the Azores, which took place between July 31 and August 3, had two components of political geostrategy, that of airspace in Terceira and maritime space in Faial, in Pico, it was the turn of wine and vineyards to receive the greatest and most deserved attention.

In fact, Verdelho wine from Pico was the true ambassador of the island, because it took its name to the world until the mid-19th century and, almost two centuries later, it is once again the island’s best ambassador, having earned the President of the Republic’s expression “Miracle of Pico,” after listening to the expressive and significant presentation by Manuel Costa, director of the Pico Museum, in the dragon tree room of the Wine Museum, on the enormous task of the picaroto in settling on the island and producing such a special nectar.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s entire visit on the afternoon of Thursday, July 31, was dedicated to the vineyards and wine of Pico.

According to the established program, the visit began at the Azores Wine Company, where he toured the facilities and received explanations about the process developed by the company, from its creation to the present day.

This was followed, on a hot afternoon, by a leisurely tour of the Pico Vineyard Cultural Landscape, classified by UNESCO, in the prime area, in the true heart of Verdelho, Lajido da Criação Velha.

There, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa walked along the path leading to the mill and entered the vineyard that produces the renowned Czar wine, accompanied by Fortunato Garcia, its producer, from whom he heard many relevant explanations and concerns, especially regarding the current pests, particularly the Turkish turtle dove. This bird, which has multiplied excessively, is devastating the grapes and creating many problems for producers, with no solution in sight to resolve this pressing issue. Even native birds, such as the blackbird, are finding their space limited.

In the middle of the vineyard, Fortunato Garcia offered a bottle of Czar, which the President promised to drink at the end of his term, although he said he was already familiar with this fine wine from Pico.

At the base of the mill in the classified area, Manuel Serpa gave a brief but enlightening overview of the work of the picarotos to achieve the excellence that is Verdelho wine, highlighting its importance and expression throughout the world. The gigantic construction of corrals, canadas, and jeirões, in walls that, in a straight line, would circle the Earth twice, around the Equator, was not forgotten. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said he was very impressed with this gigantic feat, saying that it deserves to be highlighted and disseminated.

Also at this location, the authors of the book Da Vinha Ao Vinho (From Vineyard to Wine), Cláudia Ávila Gomes and Isabel Nolasco, presented the President of the Republic with a copy of the book, which is the best portrait, in words and images, of the Cultural Landscape of the Pico Vineyard and is already included in the National Reading Plan.

The visit continued with a stop at the Wine Museum, as the sun began to set over Faial, which provided the backdrop for conversations in the old Carmelite Convent in Largo do Carmo. Despite the death of the great dragon tree, the outdoor area of the Wine Museum remains special, thanks to the presence of many dragon trees, under which the President of the Republic signed the guest books of the Azores Vine and Wine Institute and also the guest book of the Pico Museum, which includes the Wine Museum.

After Manuel Costa’s triumphant speech, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expressed his agreement, comparing Pico and the resilience of the picarotos in staying on the island to Portugal and the impossibility that seemed to exist of creating a nation within a rectangle, surrounded by great powers at the time that could easily have stifled the possibility of independence. However, this was not what happened, and we grew and expanded throughout the world and in Pico, too. The resilience and determination of the Picaroto people made the island what it is today and enabled its development. The President added that in the ten years since his last visit to Pico, wine production and promotion had been fantastic and demonstrated the strength of the island’s people and the superior quality of their wine, which had once again conquered the world, as it had done in times gone by until the mid-19th century.

In an amusing aside, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa did not want to recommend climbing the mountain to any of the candidates for the Presidency of the Republic. We should clarify that Marcelo climbed the mountain. As Manuel de Arriaga, António Guterres, Durão Barroso, Carlos César, and José Manuel Bolieiro had already done, and all were successful in their candidacies.

There was a wine dinner at the Cooperativa Vitivinícola da Ilha do Pico, but it was closed to the media. It was also strange that no other newspapers from Pico or local radio stations were present during the visit. Was this an oversight on the part of the official protocol? Strange!

On Friday, August 1, the President of the Republic, accompanied by the President of the Regional Assembly, Luís Garcia, and the President of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, left in the morning for Faial, where he spent the entire day.

The rest of the visit included the islands of São Miguel and São Jorge, where the President of the Republic was inducted into the Confraria do Queijo (Cheese Brotherhood). He also visited the islands of Santa Maria and Graciosa.

It should also be noted that at the wine dinner, the Madalena City Council presented Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa with Manuel Tomás’ recent book, As Raparigas Lá da Minha Rua.

In the Ilha Maior newspaper, Manuel Tomás-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.