White Wine

A Cerca dos Frades

Arinto dos Açores 2021, 75cl

DOP Pico

A Cerca dos Frades

The Arinto dos Açores grape, exclusive to these islands, has become a favorite among winegrowers for its resilience, productivity, and oenological versatility. It thrives particularly in coastal plots and is now the most cultivated variety in the region, yielding wines with great freshness and salinity.

Origin: This wine comes from grapes grown in a single parcel within Cerca dos Frades in Santa Luzia, on the north coast of Pico Island.

Vinification: Selective hand-picking in 25 kg buckets, gentle whole-cluster pressing, and decanting after 12 hours of sedimentation. The must, resulting from the full pressing of grapes from a single plot, was fermented with indigenous yeasts under temperature control and aged for 6 months on lees in a horizontal stainless steel tank.

Analysis: Total acidity: 7.2 g/l
pH: 3.31

Winemaker: Paulo Machado.

Gastronomy: Fresh, saline, and smooth, it pairs excellently with grilled fish, salads, seafood, and cheeses.

Allergens information

Contains sulphites.

A Cerca dos Frades

Initiated by the company’s founder, Tito Silva, in the heart of the Lajido de Santa Luzia Vineyard on Pico Island, the A Cerca dos Frades project is rooted in an emotional connection to a parcel of land that belonged to his grandfather, where, as a child, he took part in a small family harvest.

The year 2015 marked the beginning of the vineyard’s revitalization, with 3 hectares planted with the Terrantez do Pico, Arinto dos Açores, and Verdelho grape varieties. In 2018, and now with 15 hectares, the first wine, A Cerca dos Frades Blend, was launched. The following year saw the release of the first single-variety A Cerca dos Frades Terrantez do Pico. In 2020, the range expanded with a second single-variety, A Cerca dos Frades Verdelho, and with the 2021 harvest, the first A Cerca dos Frades Arinto dos Açores was born.

Today, with nearly 20 hectares of native Azorean grape varieties, A Cerca dos Frades offers wines that honor the legacy and terroir of the region.

“We deeply believe in the legacy of our ancestors, who heroically managed to make ‘wine from stone,’ the wealth of this land. Since the beginning, our purpose has been to value our grape varieties, our land, and our traditions, creating wines of excellence.” – Tito Silva