The plan for day 7 was to visit Pico Island. The main attraction, of course, is Pico Mountain, and the main activity is hiking to its summit. The hike isn’t supposed to be too challenging, typically taking around 4-5 hours. Unfortunately, the weather that day wasn’t ideal for climbing—it was windy, rainy, and the mountain and whole island were completely hidden in thick mist.
Since the hike was off the table, there was still one reason to visit Pico Island—the wineries, and in particular, one wine: Czar.
The name “Czar” for this wine is believed to originate from the Russian king – Nicolas II, who reportedly had a fondness for Pico Island’s fortified wine during the 19th century. The story goes that the wine was so popular in the Russian court that it became associated with the title of “Czar,” symbolizing its high quality and status. It is said that when Czar Nicholas II was executed in 1917, bottles of Verdelho do Pico were found in his cellar.
Czar wine, made from Verdelho grapes, reaches 18% alcohol purely through fermentation, setting it apart from liqueurs and fortified wines like Port. The grapes are harvested at peak ripeness, but Pico Island’s strong winds and rain can easily destroy a harvest. As a result, the price of a bottle varies each year, sometimes reaching up to €1000.
That day, I was on a mission to find and try the legendary Czar wine.
The ferry ride to Pico Island from Faial usually takes about 45 minutes, but with the stormy weather that day, it felt like an eternity. Sea sickness is no joke.
I hadn’t made any reservations, perhaps expecting the winery owner to greet me at the dock with a bottle of wine. So, upon arrival, I turned to Google for directions to Czar winery.
Google was mean and informed me that it was Sunday, Czar winery and everything else was closed. Womp womp womp…
Despite the odds, Google sent mixed signals about one of the wineries, suggesting it might be open and was not far from the ferry station. Hope dies last, so that’s where we headed.
The island looked deserted, no people in sight.
When we reached the winery, of course, it was closed. It was a bummer, but as strange as it sounds, this is my favorite kind of weather. The heavy sky, the crashing waves—there’s so much drama in the air.
I enjoyed walking, breathing in the salty air, feeling the wind, and soaking in the view. And there was plenty to see. Due to the harsh weather and strong winds, the grape fields on Pico Island look very different from anything I’ve seen before. The vines are planted within maze-like structures, with walls built from lava stones. These walls protect the grapes, creating a microclimate that allows the grapes to thrive.
If I had to choose a house with an ocean view, it would be something like facing dramatic coastline.
After walking for a few hours among those vines, we still had 3-4 hours to fill.
There’s a wine museum on the island, so we decided to check it out, hoping they might have samples of local wine samples.
The museum is quite small, and the ladies at the reception seemed a bit annoyed by visitors. However, they did provide us with a booklet of information to read. I heard there’s an 800-year-old dragon tree on the property, but it started pouring rain outside, so we were trapped indoors. We learned a lot about the vineyards and how Pico Island got into winemaking from the booklets. We also checked out videos and photos, which took about 30 minutes in total, but there was no wine tasting on-site.
One thing I particularly enjoyed at the museum was the displays of different grape varieties and where they typically grow. It was fascinating to see the grapes themselves, as I was familiar with the wines made from them but had never seen how the actual grapes looked!
While reading through the booklet, I discovered information about wine tastings on the island, and it looked like one was open on Sundays. Since we still had a couple of hours before the ferry, we decided to go there. We called a taxi, and after a 10-minute drive and 20 euros later, we arrived at the Azores Wine Company.
I was almost surprised to find the vineyard actually open. However, true to the theme of the day, they only conducted tastings for two tables every two hours or something, and of course, they were fully booked. Nevertheless, they had a bar where, as they suggested, we could order similar wines to those included in the tasting, albeit without the usual explanations and ceremonies.
On the positive side, the location and scenery overlooking the vineyard and ocean are stunning. However, the wine is overpriced and rather average.
Either way, it was time to head back to catch the ferry. By then, the ocean had become more turbulent, and the wind had picked up significantly.
Remembering how seasick I had been on the way there, I decided I’d rather be washed off the ship by waves than go back inside. I stayed in the open air, and I have to say, it was the best ride of my life. The waves were towering high, and the experience turned into a roller coaster! A few other people joined me, and we all yelled with excitement the entire way.
Despite the failure of my mission to find and try Czar, I truly loved the island. The atmosphere of that black-and-white day, with pops of red here and there, made my visit unforgettable.
Later in the trip, I stumbled upon a bottle of Czar in a store, but it was quite pricey, and by then, I had lost my interest.
