{"id":144,"date":"2026-06-02T16:24:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T16:24:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quinta-pico.lavaimagem.net\/da-lava-ao-copo\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T07:03:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T07:03:12","slug":"da-lava-ao-copo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quinta-pico.lavaimagem.net\/en\/blog\/da-lava-ao-copo\/","title":{"rendered":"From Lava to Glass: The Cycle of a Heroic Vintage"},"content":{"rendered":"
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VITICULTURE<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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From Lava to Glass: The Cycle of a Heroic Vintage<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Ant\u00f3nio Soares, Head Winemaker  \u00b7  12 Sep 2024  \u00b7  6 min read<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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In September, when the Atlantic begins to cool and the days grow shorter, Pico's vineyards hold the final warmth of the lava stone. The heroic vintage is not merely a harvesting method \u2014 it is a covenant between the winegrower and the island.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Basalt Terroir<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The curraletas \u2014 the black stone walls that grid the landscape of Pico \u2014 are more than historical landmarks. They are the reason Verdelho survives here. Each wall absorbs the sun's heat by day and releases it by night, creating a microclimate no greenhouse can replicate.<\/p>

The harvest is done by hand, basket by basket. Not for romance, but because machines cannot pass between the walls. Each bunch is inspected individually \u2014 the less ripe stay, the perfect ones head to the cellar.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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“The vine on Pico does not grow upward; it creeps across the lava, seeking the warmth of the stone through the night.”<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Ant\u00f3nio Soares on the slope of the curraletas, September 2024.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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From Cellar to Bottle<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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After the harvest, the grapes descend to the cellar carved into the lava. Fermentation happens at natural temperature \u2014 the basalt walls maintain 16\u201318\u00b0C without artificial systems. 2024 was a particular vintage: less quantity, greater concentration. July's drought made the roots dig deep.<\/p>

The Verdelho 2024 will be bottled in March. Limited edition: 1,200 bottles. Registrations for the barrel-tasting open in October.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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