Sparkling wine, pink or rosé wine, liqueur wine, wine and grape marc spirits as well as wine vinegar produced in the archipelago will be able to use the "Azores" designation as long as these products meet certain specific conditions of production.

The decision is part of an Ordinance issued by the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Forestry, published in the Official Journal on Friday, which recognised the "Azores" designation as Geographic Indication (GI).

For the Azorean Government, the results achieved with the restructuring of the regional wine sector "justify the recognition of regional wine products as quality products entitled to use the Geographical Indication."

Under this legislation, the cultural practices used in the production of wine and wine products "should the traditional techniques used in the Autonomous Region of the Azores or those recommended by the Azores Regional Wine Commission" (CVR Açores).
 
It also determines that the wines and wine products awarded with the "Azores" GI should be exclusively produced from grapes grown in the archipelago and varieties listed in Annex I of the Ordinance.

Regarding the product characteristics, the legislation requires that the minimum alcohol content be of 11% for pink or rosé wine, 10.5% for sparkling wine and 16% for liqueur wine.

In turn, grape marc and wine spirits with the "Azores" GI designation must "comply with the authorised characteristics and practices in force, such as minimum ageing period as well as other aspects defined in the Azores CVR internal rules."

The same Ordinance also requires that the marketing of packaged wine and wine products using the "Azores" GI may only carried out after certification by the Azores CVR, which is "recognised as the entity responsible for the control and certification" of wine products.
 
At the request of wine producers, the vineyards for the production of wine and wine products with the "Azores" GI designation should be registered at the Azores CVR. This entity is also in charge of verifying whether the vineyards meet the necessary requirements by carrying out verification tests whenever necessary and making the respective registration.