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.

In addition to founding and owning Azores Wine Co. and FitaPreta, Antonio 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.

Antonio 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.

António and resident English viticulture consultant, David Booth met for the first time in early 2004. Over the next few months, a close friendship developed and when the opportunity came up to buy some pretty special grapes from some Alentejo vineyards that David was managing, and António was able to rent some space in a local winery, the business rapidly took shape and Fitapreta Vinhos was founded.

Their distinctive, rich and complex wines that are the result of applying their specialist skills with huge personal attention to detail at every point in the production chain; from vineyard site selection, grape growing, harvesting, fermentation, maturing, label design, marketing and distribution.

Featured