The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry announced the presence of Azorean wines in the new season of the British television programme "The Wine Show," with an estimated audience of 86 million viewers in 100 countries.

João Ponte revealed that one of the episodes will be filmed on the island of Pico, which will be exclusively dedicated to Azorean wines. This initiative falls within the strategy of enhancing the dissemination and visibility of Azorean wines in external markets.

 “This is a television programme with worldwide projection and with an impact on the general public and specialists in the world of wine. In this context, the presence of Azorean wines is of paramount importance and may represent the opening of new markets and new business opportunities,” said João Ponte.

The Secretary for Agriculture spoke on the sidelines of the delivery ceremony of the 23rd edition of the "Best of the Year 2019 - Wine Magazine" awards, which took place Tuesday at the Alfândega do Porto Congress Centre.

João Ponte pointed out that, through the island of Pico, whose vineyard culture landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Azores will be represented in this emblematic series to be broadcast this year. The promotional and dissemination plan for the season will be presented worldwide, through the international press and the social networks of "The Wine Show.”

“Having overcome the challenge of increasing production and the quality of wines produced in the Azores, it is now important to focus on improving the visibility of regional wines in external markets, as one of the ways to guarantee the creation of value and the sustainability of this important agricultural activity,” said João Ponte. 

The government official stressed that the growth in the production of certified wines that is being recorded - 300 thousand litres in 2019 and an estimated 500 thousand litres in 2020 - is an opportunity but, above all, a huge challenge that must mobilise all agents in the sector.

Currently, there are more than four dozen certified Azorean wines in the Region under the responsibility of 21 economic operators. Last year alone, about a dozen certified wines were launched in the market.