A challenging environment

The vineyards are located in extreme conditions, very close to the sea and planted on the fissures of the mother-stone in volcanic soil, a very unusual kind of agriculture. The unusual sea proximity, between 50 and 300 meters, sprays the vineyards with salt. The influence from the volcano and the clouds that usually gather around it, led men to plant their vineyards so close to the sea one may hear “the crabs singing”. The stone walls known as currais, built around 500 years ago are meant to protect the vineyards from the maritime wind and salt while creating a warmer microclimate for the plants.