Biscoitos Wine Museum: 430 Years of Verdelho in a Single Estate

Some museums simply display objects. Others keep producing the very thing they showcase. Biscoitos Wine Museum belongs to the second category: the same estate that tells Verdelho’s story still bottles it today.

A centenary that became a museum

Opened on 2 February 1990, during the celebrations marking the centenary of Casa Agrícola Brum, the museum was created by the heirs of Francisco Maria Brum, a key figure in reviving the Biscoitos vineyards after two decades of abandonment caused by phylloxera, a blight that hit Terceira around 1870.

430 years of winegrowing

The museum sets out to tell 430 years of history of winegrowing in the parish of Biscoitos, Terceira Island’s only Demarcated Wine Region. The visit begins in the outdoor courtyards, among old stone presses and wine tanks, two traditional regional houses, and an unusual 18th-century fortified tower.

From vine to bottle

The museum tour follows the entire production process — from growing grapevines in the characteristic stone-walled plots, which shield the plants from wind and sea salt, to ripening and turning grapes into wine. The space includes a cellar, a distillery, an ethnographic room, a tasting room, and an ampelographic field, bringing together several grape varieties in one plot.

The “Chico Maria” wines

Among the wines produced, standouts include Donatário, a dry white made with Biscoitos Verdelho, and the Chico Maria range — dry, medium-dry, and sweet, all fortified, with alcohol content between 17% and 19%, made from Azores Verdelho with traces of Terceira’s Terrantez.

Planning your visit

• Location: Canada do Caldeiro, Biscoitos parish, 18 km from Angra do Heroísmo and 22 km from Praia da Vitória.
• Harvest: second half of August through the first week of September.
• Pair with: a visit to the Biscoitos Natural Pools, just steps from the museum.

Best time to visit

Harvest season, in August and September, adds extra interest for those wanting to see the tradition in full swing.

Nearby highlights

Biscoitos Natural Pools are just steps from the museum.

After the museum, cross the road to the natural pools to pair wine history with a refreshing swim in the same volcanic landscape.

Learn more about traditional crafts in the Azores.