Date and Time
- Thursday, Dec 11, 2025 5pm - 7pm
Location
Flatiron Wines & Spirits
2 New Montgomery St
Details
Thursday, December 11th | 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Cellar Room
Join us for an intimate seminar with António Maçanita (@antoniomacanita), one of Portugal's most dynamic and unconventional winemakers, for a deep dive into wines from one of the world's most remote and fascinating wine regions: the Azores archipelago. Imported by Olé & Obrigado (oleobrigado.com, @oleobrigado), these wines represent some of the rarest and most distinctive bottles coming out of Portugal today.
Located approximately 1,000 miles off the coast of Portugal in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the Azores is a volcanic archipelago where winemaking dates back to the 15th century. António's connection to the islands runs deep—his father is from the Azores, and António first encountered winemaking at age four while foot-treading grapes during family vacations. What began as a childhood memory evolved into a mission that would transform both António's career and the future of Azorean wine.
In 2010, António began work on recovering Terrantez do Pico, an indigenous variety that had been reduced to just 89 plants and was considered practically extinct. This project became the genesis of the Azores Wine Company, which António founded in 2014 with partners Filipe Rocha and Paulo Machado. Their philosophy is simple yet profound: "bring the world to the Azores and take the Azores to the world." What they've accomplished since then has been nothing short of transforming Azorean grapes into the most sought-after—and expensive—in Portugal, with production costs comparable to Burgundy and Champagne.
António has been recognized as Winemaker of the Year by Revista de Vinhos (2018), Most Unique Winemaker, and Winemaker of the Generation (2006-2016). But it's his work in the Azores that truly goes to the history books. He has dedicated himself to recovering indigenous varieties like Terrantez do Pico, Arinto dos Açores, Verdelho, Saborinho, and Boal—grapes that were on the brink of extinction. The Azores Wine Company now farms approximately 100 hectares across Pico Island, working with about 20 local growers to produce around 150,000 bottles annually.
What makes these wines so special is the terroir itself. Pico Island's vineyards are carved into black volcanic basalt soils and protected by stone walls called "currais" that shield vines from fierce Atlantic winds. The volcanic soil is so nutrient-poor and stony that it challenges the very definition of agricultural soil, yet it produces wines of startling minerality, freshness, and salinity—wines that literally taste of the land and sea. António's minimal intervention approach in both vineyard and cellar ensures these characteristics shine through.
This seminar offers a window into a wine region few have encountered and even fewer understand. António's wines from the Azores are produced in extremely limited quantities and distributed to only the finest wine shops and restaurants worldwide. The opportunity to taste these wines with the winemaker himself—hearing the stories of recovery, resilience, and his fight to legalize forgotten hybrid varieties—is genuinely unique.
This seminar will cover:
- The history of viticulture in the Azores and its near-extinction
- António's mission to recover indigenous Azorean grape varieties
- The unique volcanic terroir of Pico Island and UNESCO World Heritage vineyards
- Working with stone wall "currais" and extreme Atlantic conditions
- Minimal intervention winemaking that captures "land and sea"
- The economic transformation of Azorean wine
- Understanding why these are some of Portugal's rarest wines
Featured wines:
2023 Arinto dos Açores
2024 Rosé Vulcânico
2019 Isabella a Proibida
2022 Vinha Centenária
This is an essential experience for anyone interested in wine's capacity to express the most extreme and unique terroirs on earth. The wines António produces from the Azores represent true viticultural resilience and a category unto themselves.
Seating is limited to 16 guests. Tickets are $50 and include the full guided tasting and a $20 store credit for use towards the purchase of the featured wines.
Wednesday, December 11th | 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Cellar Room
