The Azores Wine Institute (IVVA) brings together producers, specialists, and policymakers to strengthen sustainability, innovation, and international recognition, while a regional wine competition celebrates the growing excellence of the archipelago’s vineyards.
The volcanic landscapes of Pico Island, where generations of winegrowers have transformed seemingly inhospitable fields of black basalt into some of the Atlantic’s most extraordinary vineyards, provided a fitting setting for the conclusion of the First Azorean Viticulture Forum. Organized by the Instituto da Vinha e do Vinho dos Açores (IVVA), the four-day gathering brought together wine producers, researchers, industry specialists, and regional authorities to examine the future of an increasingly important sector of the Azorean economy. The forum concluded with the recognition of outstanding regional wines and an ambitious commitment to modernize production, strengthen sustainability, expand international markets, and establish the gathering as a biennial event.
At the heart of the discussions was a recognition that Azorean viticulture represents far more than an agricultural activity. It is an expression of cultural identity, a living inheritance of centuries of human perseverance, and an increasingly valuable contributor to the archipelago’s economic and tourism development. From the celebrated vineyards of Pico to the distinctive winegrowing traditions of other islands, the relationship between volcanic soil, Atlantic climate, and human ingenuity has produced wines whose character is inseparable from the landscapes in which they originate.
Cláudio Lopes, president of the IVVA, emphasized that the sector’s recent achievements reflect the dedication of those who have invested in the recovery of vineyards, the diversification of grape varieties, and the strengthening of regional wine brands. Behind the growth of Azorean viticulture, he observed, are individuals who work, invest, and believe in the value of this heritage. Their commitment has helped transform a traditional agricultural practice into an increasingly sophisticated economic activity, capable of combining historical authenticity with contemporary standards of quality and competitiveness.
Lopes also announced the institute’s intention to make the forum a recurring event, bringing wine producers and industry professionals together every two years on different islands of the archipelago. The next gathering is anticipated for 2028, with plans to transform the wine competition into an annual initiative beginning in 2027. These developments reflect a broader strategy to provide continuity to professional cooperation, technical innovation, and the international promotion of Azorean wines.
The forum placed particular emphasis on the importance of strengthening the relationship between wine production and global markets. Participants highlighted the need to develop more effective commercialization strategies, improve communication about the distinctive qualities of Azorean wines, and create greater recognition for products whose identity is shaped by the archipelago’s volcanic geology and maritime environment.
For Lopes, wine tourism represents another significant opportunity. The vineyards of the Azores offer visitors an experience that extends beyond wine tasting, connecting agricultural production with cultural history, local gastronomy, landscape preservation, and the traditions of island communities. However, he cautioned that the continued development of wine tourism requires an organized and sustainable approach, including improvements in infrastructure, professional training, and the coordination of tourism services.
Luís Garcia, president of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, attended the closing session and praised the forum as an example of the region’s capacity to bring together institutions, producers, and specialists around a shared vision. He described viticulture as an activity deeply connected to Azorean history, culture, and economic development, emphasizing the importance of sustained efforts to promote quality, strengthen regional identity, and expand international recognition.
Luís Estrela, Regional Director for Agriculture, Veterinary Affairs, and Food, similarly characterized the gathering as an important moment for the sector. Speaking to Correio dos Açores, he described Pico as a center of national viticulture during the forum, highlighting the participation of experts from mainland Portugal and the opportunity to exchange knowledge about emerging trends, production techniques, and international markets. The gathering, he suggested, demonstrated the growing maturity of Azorean wine production and the value of cooperation between producers and technical specialists.
The conclusions of the forum were presented by Sara Santos, director of the IVVA’s Department of Technical Advice, Information, and Markets. They included nine proposals designed to guide the sector’s future development. Among the principal priorities were stronger internationalization strategies, the preservation of the region’s distinctive winegrowing heritage, improved professional training, and greater coordination among producers, public institutions, and municipalities.
The recommendations also stressed the importance of innovation that respects tradition. The preservation of ancestral winegrowing practices, particularly those associated with the volcanic landscapes of Pico, must be accompanied by advances in scientific knowledge, sustainable agricultural methods, and the technical qualifications of younger generations. The forum further identified labor shortages, production costs, and the need for more efficient commercial structures as challenges requiring coordinated responses.
A particularly significant component of the gathering was the First Competition of Certified Azorean Wines, which attracted 58 entries from producers across the archipelago. The competition was established to recognize the quality of regional wines, encourage continued improvements in production, and showcase the diversity of grape varieties, styles, and winegrowing territories represented in the Azores.
The judging panel included winemakers, sommeliers, technical specialists, wine researchers, and professionals from the restaurant, distribution, and specialized communication sectors. Rodolfo Tristão, sommelier, consultant, and head of the IVVA’s Chamber of Tasters, described the competition as the realization of a longstanding aspiration and emphasized the importance of bringing producers together in a spirit of shared learning and professional recognition.
Among the principal distinctions, Terras de Lava Branco, from the Cooperativa Vitivinícola da Ilha do Pico, received a Grand Gold award in the white wine category. Other Grand Gold distinctions recognized wines including Céptico Colheita Selecionada, Capelinhos, Vinha do Avô, Insula Vinus Arinto dos Açores, Céptico Verdelho, Cerca dos Frades, and Entre Pedras, illustrating the range of producers and wine styles represented in the competition.
The Adega do Vulcão emerged prominently among the winners, with several wines receiving major distinctions. Its Pé do Monte Arinto dos Açores 2020 was recognized as the competition’s best wine overall, among the 58 entries, while the producer also received awards for its Verdelho and Arinto wines. Other individual honors recognized wines from the Cooperativa Vitivinícola da Ilha do Pico, further demonstrating the strength of the island’s winegrowing traditions.
The importance of these achievements extends beyond the awards themselves. Over recent decades, Azorean viticulture has undergone a remarkable transformation, supported by vineyard restoration, improvements in winemaking technology, growing scientific expertise, and renewed appreciation for indigenous and historically significant grape varieties. Wines produced from Arinto dos Açores, Verdelho, and Terrantez do Pico increasingly offer distinctive expressions of the Atlantic environment, combining mineral characteristics, freshness, and the influence of maritime conditions.
Pico’s vineyards, particularly those associated with the island’s UNESCO-recognized Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture, remain among the most powerful symbols of this relationship between human determination and the natural environment. The traditional currais, small plots protected by walls of volcanic stone, testify to generations of agricultural ingenuity. What might initially appear to be an unforgiving landscape became, through extraordinary patience and labor, a place of cultivation and cultural achievement.
Today, that inheritance offers the Azores an opportunity to distinguish themselves in an international wine industry increasingly attentive to authenticity, environmental sustainability, and the relationship between wine and place. The archipelago’s relatively small production scale need not be understood exclusively as a limitation. It can also become an advantage in markets where distinctive origins, careful production, and compelling cultural narratives carry considerable value.
The conclusions of the First Azorean Viticulture Forum suggest that the sector’s future will depend upon its ability to combine these inherited strengths with greater commercial sophistication, institutional cooperation, and sustained investment in knowledge. International recognition will require not only exceptional wines, but also coordinated efforts to communicate their singularity and establish lasting relationships with consumers, distributors, and tourism professionals.
For the Azorean diaspora, particularly in North America, this evolving wine industry also offers opportunities to strengthen cultural and economic connections with the islands. Restaurants, specialty importers, community organizations, and consumers of Azorean heritage can contribute to the international visibility of wines that embody the history and character of the archipelago. Their potential role illustrates how the relationship between the islands and their worldwide communities can extend beyond cultural remembrance into meaningful economic exchange.
Ultimately, the forum’s significance lies in its affirmation that the future of Azorean viticulture must be built through a productive dialogue between memory and innovation. The vineyards of the archipelago are not simply agricultural landscapes. They are repositories of human experience, shaped by centuries of labor, migration, adaptation, and extraordinary resilience.
In the black stone walls of Pico, in the vines that withstand the Atlantic winds, and in the wines that carry the unmistakable character of volcanic earth, one encounters a story that belongs both to the Azores and to the wider world.
The challenge now is to ensure that this remarkable inheritance continues to flourish—not as a relic of an admired past, but as a living expression of an archipelago increasingly prepared to bring its distinctive voice, and its wines, to the international stage.
Based on reporting by Correio dos Açores, November 3, 2026. The photos are also from CA.