Azores Wine Company restaurant unveils new identity

06/04/2026Five years after the launch of the wine tourism project on the island of Pico, the Azores Wine Company’s restaurant has adopted its own name and is now called LATITUDE, establishing itself as a gastronomic destination offering haute cuisine with wine at the heart of the experience.

The Azores Wine Company (AWC), a wine-making and wine tourism venture founded by António Maçanita and Filipe Rocha on the island of Pico, is embarking on a new chapter with the launch of LATITUDE, the name now given to the winery’s restaurant, five years after the venue first opened.

The change comes to consolidate a gastronomic offering which, from the outset, has stood out for its connection to haute cuisine, its celebration of Azorean produce and the central role of wine in the experience. More than just a restaurant, LATITUDE establishes itself as a space designed to explore the uniqueness of Pico’s wines through the latitude of these Atlantic islands, bridging territory, culture and identity.

Led by Rui Batista, a native of the Azores, LATITUDE celebrates ingredient-driven cuisine, rooted in seasonality and the provenance of its ingredients, with a focus on fish from the Azores and incorporating produce from various islands across the archipelago. Organically grown fruit and vegetables, local seaweed and lamb from Santa Maria form part of an approach that respects tradition, reinterpreted using contemporary techniques. The crockery and some decorative elements also come from regional craftsmanship.

Located in the highest part of the winery, the restaurant offers stunning views of the sea and the islands of Faial and São Jorge. The space is divided between a counter overlooking the open kitchen, where four- or six-course menus are served, and the Mesa Pico, a ten-seater communal table designed as a work of art by Mircea Anghel, where ten-course dining experiences take place.

At the heart of the concept lies wine, which guides the various tasting experiences. Among the ten-course experiences, highlights include ‘Latitude 38º27’’, dedicated exclusively to wines from Pico, including rare finds from the AWC wine cellar; Islands, which brings together wines from volcanic archipelagos such as the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and Sicily; and Today is the Greatest Day!, an offering that brings together some of the house’s most iconic wines, including bottles from the Azores Wine Company’s cellar.

For those opting for the bar, the six-course experiences include pairings with wines from different regions where António Maçanita develops projects – from the Alentejo to the Douro, via Pico, Madeira and Porto Santo – or offerings focused exclusively on the island’s wines. There is also the four-course Atitude menu, which can be complemented with various themed wine pairings.

With LATITUDE, the Azores Wine Company reinforces Pico’s position as a premier wine tourism destination, where wine, gastronomy and landscape merge into an immersive experience that celebrates the volcanic and Atlantic identity of the Azores.