Martins de Sá
Martins de Sá: A Modern Port Brand for a New Generation
Martins de Sá is not your typical Port wine brand. It was not born from centuries of winemaking tradition or passed down through dynastic family lines. Instead, it emerged from a deeply personal journey — one that began with loss, transformation, and a desire to make Port wine relevant to a new audience.
The brand was founded by Marco, whose connection to Port comes from his late father, a man who approached the drink not with elitism, but with joy, ease, and openness. After losing his father and going through his own mental health crisis, Marco traveled to Portugal to reconnect with his roots — and it was there that the idea for Martins de Sá was born. The mission? To modernize Port, to tell a different story, and to make it accessible, inclusive, and appealing to younger drinkers around the world.
Challenging the Norms of Port
Unlike traditional brands, Martins de Sá didn’t emerge from the inner circles of the wine world. It was built from the ground up — literally, with bottles in the boot of a car and door-to-door pitches to bars. The early days were filled with grassroots hustle, self-delivery, and overcoming scepticism from an industry wary of outsiders.
Rather than trying to fit into the old mold, Marco embraced the brand’s difference. Martins de Sá aligned itself with the spirits and cocktail world, finding allies among bartenders, mixologists, and tonic brands rather than legacy wine producers. That strategic pivot gave the brand a fresh voice and helped push Port wine into new spaces — namely, cocktail menus and younger markets.
Port for Cocktails, Not Just Cheese Boards
Martins de Sá actively champions the use of Port in cocktails. Its white and rosé Ports are bright, fruit-forward, and lower in alcohol — ideal bases for creative, refreshing drinks. The brand encourages experimentation, from easy Port-and-tonic twists to sophisticated blends with syrups, rums, Calvados, or malic acid. In the brand’s view, Port isn’t something to be reserved for a single glass by the fire. It’s versatile, dynamic, and fun — and it belongs on the same shelf as your favorite spirits.
A Brand Built on Storytelling
Martins de Sá’s biggest strength is its authenticity. It’s a brand that connects — not through heritage, but through human story, emotional depth, and cultural relevance. It speaks to a generation that wants to know what they’re drinking, where it came from, and why it matters. That storytelling ethos is also behind The Portologist, an upcoming cocktail book designed to introduce Port as a playful, modern ingredient for home and professional mixologists alike.
Looking Ahead
Martins de Sá is part of a new wave redefining what Port can be. By staying true to its mission — accessibility, creativity, and community — it has already begun shifting perceptions across the UK and beyond. While the traditional Port world remains cautious, brands like Martins de Sá prove that there’s a thirst for something new: for stories, for realness, and for a fresh approach to one of the world’s oldest wine categories.
This is Port with purpose — and it’s just getting started.
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