Graciosa

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The geographical area of the DO Graciosa coincides with the island of Graciosa, covering approximately 61 km², with a length of 12.5 km and a maximum width of 7.5 km.
• Located at the far northwest of the Central Group of the Azores archipelago, Graciosa is the least mountainous of the Azorean islands, reaching a maximum altitude of 402 metres.
• The climate is temperate maritime, with mild temperatures ranging from 16 °C to 26 °C in summer, and a mean annual relative humidity of approximately 75%.
• During the wettest months, from October to March, mean monthly rainfall exceeds 100 mm, with an average of around 20 rainy days per month.
• The soils are of volcanic origin, predominantly derived from basaltic rock, with some degree of development and some stoniness.

• The vineyard plots, known as curraletas, are delimited by walls built from lava stones removed from the soil until workable earth is reached, protecting the vines from Atlantic winds.
• Graciosa has had an agricultural and rural vocation for centuries, exporting a range of agricultural products as early as the sixteenth century, among them wine, which has remained a production of recognised economic importance.

• The wines, fortified wines, and sparkling wines bearing the DO Graciosa are fresh and fruit-forward on the nose, showing marked acidity, mineral notes, and moderate alcohol.
• Minerality and salinity are relevant and distinctive attributes of these wines, fortified wines, and sparkling wines bearing the DO Graciosa.

• The more developed soils of Graciosa, with a low content of coarse elements that would otherwise promote heat reflection, are a key factor in gentle ripening and give rise to wines that are fresh, slightly higher in acidity, and lower in alcohol than the wines of other islands.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the specification (caderno de especificações).

All appellations in Portugal

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-PT-A1446
• Official trade body site — Instituto da Vinha e do Vinho dos Açores