{"title":"Cooperativa Vitivinicola Ilha do Pico","description":"\u003cp\u003eOn the far flung Atlantic archipelago of the Azores you will find the Cooperativa Vitivinicola Ilha do Pico, aka the winery co-op of the island of Pico. Not only does this co-op produce some of the best wines of the Azores, it is the most important winery on the island by far. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThat’s not surprising, given that the Portuguese farmers here, many whose roots go back centuries, are forced to do things on a tiny scale and under conditions that make industrial, profit driven winemaking impossible. The vineyards are built into the steep, volcanic hills (the island is dominated by a single, active volcano Ponta do Pico) and are dug into pits and surrounded by stone walls to protect from the fierce winds. Indeed these vineyards are so special they are all designated a UNESCO heritage site. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut how do the wines taste, you might wonder? They’re even more distinctive and delicious than we expected. Yes, they do share many common characteristics with other volcanic island wines like the Canaries and Etna in Sicily, but different grape varieties and 500 years of isolated clonal development deliver a completely unique experience. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe can say that they are textural, saline, aromatic, mineral and complex, but really you should try them for yourself!\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"url":"https:\/\/sf.flatiron-wines.com\/collections\/cooperativa-vitivinicola-ilha-do-pico.oembed","provider":"Flatiron SF","version":"1.0","type":"link"}