Azorean Vineyards & Monte Brazil

Ramiro was very excited to show and tell the story of winemaking on the island of Terceira. It is a process that is totally unique and the only other spot in the world that uses a similar process is the Canary Islands but their grapevines are grown in sand and the grapevines in Terceira are grown on rocks. They vines are surrounded by stone fences that have holes in them to allow just enough wind to allow pollination and prevent the grapes from rotting. Every step of the wine making process is done by hand which makes it very labour intensive and therefore there is a low profit margin. Most of the wine produced is white wine and just like anything else, when there is an increase in demand for it, the price goes up. The other stop we made this afternoon was Monte Brasil, an extinct volcano that emerged from the sea to join the city of Angra do Heroismo, to go to a viewpoint that gave us an excellent panorama of the entire island. It was a beautiful botanical garden with trails as well and a great place to picnic, walk or ride bicycles. After a full 12 hours of activity we checked in to our hotel, had a quick shower and got ready to head out for a bite to eat before happily collapsing into our bed.Read more