2023 Azores Wine Company - Pico Rose Vulcanico (750ml)

Azores Wine Company was founded by winemaker António Maçanita alongside Filipe Rocha and Paulo Machado, with Maçanita drawn to the islands in part through his father's Azorean roots. Their mission centers on reviving Pico Island's historic vineyards and rescuing indigenous grape varieties that had nearly disappeared. The Azores' volcanic wine culture, recognized by UNESCO in 2004, dates back to the fifteenth century, when growers began walling in tiny plots with black basalt stones to shield the vines from Atlantic wind and salt spray. Today the company works with around twenty local growers across roughly a hundred hectares, making it the largest private producer in the region.

This rosé draws on a field blend of Saborinho, Agronómica, Aragonez, Touriga Nacional, and other varieties co-planted across a network of tiny bush-trained plots on Pico's black volcanic soil, some dating to 1991. Made as a partial saignée with a touch of whole-bunch fruit, the wine ferments in stainless steel with no skin maceration, which keeps its color pale, then rests in large steel vessels laid on their sides to build extra texture.

The glass shows a delicate salmon-pink hue, with aromas of strawberry, watermelon, tangerine, and rose petal, threaded with ginger and a distinct saline edge. Light-bodied and brisk, it finishes clean and mineral. It's a natural match for grilled seafood or a simple green salad.