Widely regarded as one of the most dynamic young winemakers in Portugal, António Maçanita crafts wines from the Azores archipelago to Alentejo, each one capturing the essence of the regional terroir and traditions.

The Azores Wine Company was founded in April 2014, by partners António Maçanita, Filipe Rocha and Insula Vinus, Lda. They have been instrumental in the promotion of Azorean wine and gastronomy. In 2010, António Maçanita began, along with the S. Miguel Agricultural Development Services, work on the Terrantez do Pico grape variety. Unique in the world, this nearly extinct grape reveals a surprising freshness, mineral quality and salinity.

In addition to founding and owning Azores Wine Co. and FitaPreta, António is a consultant winemaker for numerous other wineries in Portugal through his company Wine ID. His first harvest experience was at four years old, playing amongst the vines while grapes were being picked. He's gone on to work in wineries in Napa, Australia, and Bordeaux, before returning to Portugal to change the landscape of modern Portuguese wine.

António was named 2018 Winemaker of the Year in Revista de Vinhos Magazine, as well as awarded the 2018 Singularity Award by Revista Grandes Escolhas. And Azores Wine Company was named Company of the Year at the 2021 Grandes Escolhas Awards. The company's winery, Adega Pico, also won the BigMat National Prize for Architecture in Portugal 2023, and a RIBA International Award for Excellence 2024. Most recently António was named Winemaker of the Year in the Tim Atkin Portugal 2026 Special Report.