Adega do Vulcao

Adega Do Vulcão is the story of the bond between the Azores islands and a Florentine couple, Gianni Mancassola and Cinzia Caiazzo, born by chance during a vacation in 2008: the magic of the places had captured their attention, so much so that they were convinced to establish on the island of Faial their buen retiro. As time went by, dreams and ideas emerged that, linked to their personal passion for wine, led to the founding of the Volcano Winery. Faial is known as "the blue island," from the description given by the early 20th-century Portuguese poet Raul Brandão, because of the enormous quantity of hydrangeas spread throughout its territory. It expanded during 1957 as a result of an underwater eruption: developed a mile from the coast, over the course of a year lava deposits formed the strip of land of Ponta dos Capelinhos, geographically the westernmost tip of the European continent.

The Adega Do Vulcão estate now consists of about 10 hectares planted with vines in total. 7 hectares insist on Faial territory, amalgamated by acquiring something like 130 tiny plots abandoned by the old owners at the time of the eruption: it was therefore a matter of working on replanting new vines, the originals having been crushed under the weight of the debris. The soil was formed by the meeting of incandescent lava, emerging from the sea, with lava dust that was being deposited from the sky, creating a unique mineral composition and fascinating rocky undulations on the ground. In 2017, 3 hectares of old vines, reaching 70 and 80 years of age, were added, surveyed on the adjacent island of Pico, classified as a UNESCO since 2004: the plantings were carried out within the fissures of the lava rock, the so-called lajido, and protected from the roaring Atlantic wind through a maze of low basalt walls, locally called currais. The soil here is older and harder than on the other island.

In the vineyards of Adega Do Vulcão, only native varieties are grown: Arinto dos Açores, Verdelho and Terrantez do Pico, which can originate interesting comparisons between different ages and terroirs. The grapes are raised according to a strict model of sustainability and respect for the environment, favoring biodiversity in every way and limiting the use of chemical additives as much as possible. In order to obtain expressively territorial wines, fermentations are conducted only with indigenous yeasts, while vinification and aging take place in cement vats, unroasted oak barrels and amphorae. Harvests are of necessity carried out by hand.