Czar Pico Wine Tasting: Meet the Producer, Taste Limited Editions

Centenarian vines and bottles that cost more than a thousand euros

A private wine tasting on Pico with a local guide covers the volcanic UNESCO vineyards on foot, a natural swimming pool, and an exclusive tasting of Czar wine (aged 8 years, limited to 1,000 bottles) directly from producer Fortunato Garcia. The experience includes private transport, cheese pairings, and a personalized wine recommendation email afterward. Minimum age 17 for alcohol consumption.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Pico vineyards and wine tasting

• Walk volcanic vineyards of Pico
• Learn history of Pico wine
• Discover lava rock vineyard growth
• Relax at natural swimming pool
• Meet Fortunato Garcia
• Taste unique Czar Pico wine

The experience

Czar Pico wine exists nowhere else in the world. Wine critics and scientists say so, and the price (sometimes over 1,000 euros per bottle) reflects both the history and the risk: Fortunato owns some of the oldest Verdelho vines on the island, centenarian plants that can be destroyed by a single strong wind or rain before harvest. The 2015 vintage, aged 8 years in oak barrels, was bottled in limited quantities of 1,000 bottles. You'll taste it directly from the producer, along with previous years' editions kept exclusively for this tasting and unavailable in the market.

The morning starts with a short walk through Pico's volcanic vineyards, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Your local guide explains how vines grow from lava rock (a necessity born from the island's geology), and traces the history of Pico wine through centuries of cultivation on impossible terrain. After the vineyard walk, you stop at a natural swimming pool to cool off and hear more local stories before heading to Czar Winery. Private transportation moves the group between each stop.

At the winery, you meet Fortunato Garcia and taste his "passado" wine alongside local cheese or other regional pairings. The tasting includes water and concludes with a personalized email recommending wines and next steps. The entire experience runs 4 hours. A live guide conducts the tour in English or French.

What’s included

• Private transportation between stops.
• a guided walk through the UNESCO volcanic vineyards with a local expert.
• access to a natural swimming pool.
• a tasting of limited-edition Czar wines aged 8 years in oak barrels, paired with local cheese or regional tastings.
• water.
• and a personalized wine recommendation email after the experience.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 14:00

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (14 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 13 years) · Infant (under 3)

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Oh! My Cod Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to taste rare, expensive wine directly from its producer in a small private group rather than visit a commercial tasting room. The 4-hour format includes both the vineyard landscape and the winery itself, so you understand where the grapes grow before tasting what they become.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (14 to 17 years); Child (3 to 13 years); Infant (under 3).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What makes Czar Pico wine different from other wines?

Czar Pico wine reaches 18 degrees of alcohol exclusively from fermentation, placing it in its own category apart from liqueur and fortified wines like port. The grapes are harvested very mature from centenarian Verdelho vines grown in volcanic lava rock, and the wine is aged 8 years in oak barrels before bottling in limited quantities of 1,000 bottles.

Do I walk the vineyards, or is this just a tasting at the winery?

You walk the volcanic vineyards on a short route as part of the experience, learning how vines grow from lava rock and the history of Pico wine, before moving to the natural swimming pool and then to Czar Winery for the tasting.

Will I meet the winemaker?

Yes, you meet Fortunato Garcia, the producer and owner of the centenarian vines, at Czar Winery during the tasting portion of the experience.

What's included in the tasting?

The tasting includes Czar wine from multiple vintages, local cheese or other regional pairings, water, and private transportation between the vineyard, swimming pool, and winery. After the experience, you receive a personalized wine recommendation email.

Is there a minimum age requirement?

Yes, you must be at least 17 years old to participate in the wine tasting due to alcohol consumption.