Guarda, Portugal, Aug. 21, 2026 (Lusa) - Portugal's first Master of Wine, Tiago Macena, believes that being part of «this club» will enable him to help «sell Portuguese wine more effectively, communicate about it more effectively and work with it more effectively» – a sector «so important to the national economy».
«There is no doubt that having a Portuguese person with this title, as part of this club, this group, is significant in terms of being able, later on, over time, to help the entire sector to sell Portuguese wine better, communicate better and promote it more effectively,» Tiago Macena told the Lusa news agency on Thursday.
Aged 43, the winemaker, consultant, producer and entrepreneur is originally from Guarda and currently works in the Dão Demarcated Region.
He is one of seven new Masters of Wine approved on Wednesday by the demanding Institute of Masters of Wine, based in London.
Tiago Macena noted that achieving this status had been a long-pursued goal, since 2017.
«I am very happy and fulfilled to have reached this pinnacle of knowledge in my field of work, which is wine, but also very relieved that this day has finally arrived,» he confessed.
The winemaker from Guarda passed the Institute of Masters of Wine's practical examination in 2023 and subsequently undertook a rigorous study programme, which included various stages of assessment, blind tastings and research into the most diverse aspects of wine.
«It's been years of hard work, lots of studying, plenty of tasting and help from so many people, starting with my family. That's why it's such a good day; it's a joyful day,» he added.
Tiago Macena explained that being a Master of Wine is not an academic degree, but a distinction that allows him to join «a club for which we have to pass such comprehensive and demanding practical and theoretical exams».
«In other words, by judging the wine on its own merits, we have to demonstrate that we understand it. Then, we need to know everything about it, from the vineyard to winemaking, marketing and storage, everything in the world that affects this industry, be it the price of oil, wars here and there, tariffs, and so on.» The final examination consisted of a thesis on Encruzado, a Dão grape variety that he wanted to ‘put in the spotlight' before an audience at the Institute of Masters of Wine who, ‘perhaps, had heard of it, but were unlikely to know what it was'.
«It was my contribution to raising awareness of the Dão and the Encruzado in the world of wine. I tried to paint a current picture of what this grape variety represents for the region, what it means for the Dão and what it may come to mean in the future,» explained the winemaker, who has been working in the Dão «for almost 20 years».
Tiago Macena believes that, from now on, he will have more job opportunities and that this will change «the authority my voice will carry on the global wine stage, amongst those who wish to hear me speak about Portuguese wine, which is such an important sector for our economy».
Portugal's first Master of Wine has not forgotten his roots either and admitted that he will devote a «more than special affection» to Beira Interior.
«That is a fact and common knowledge; it's no secret to anyone. I've always done so. I know the region like the back of my hand, because that's where I grew up. Although I have yet to work professionally in Beira Interior, I have carried out occasional projects with the Wine Commission and will continue to be available.» Tiago Macena holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering, specialising in Viticulture and Winemaking, from the Higher Institute of Agronomy at the University of Lisbon.
He also holds a postgraduate qualification in Wine Business from the same institution.
He is currently a winemaker at No Rules Wines, the producer of Código wine in the Dão region, and at Tarelo Wines on Pico, in the Azores, having previously worked at Adega Marel in Alentejo.
LYM/ADB // ADB.
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