Portugal Wine Atlas

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Regions / Madeira

Wine region · Atlantic island

Madeira

Atlantic island

A steep volcanic island in the Atlantic, about 1,000 km southwest of Lisbon. Vines grow on small terraces called poios, often trained on low pergolas. Madeira wine is fortified and then aged with heat, which makes it one of the longest-lived wines in the world.

Did you knowMadeira was shaped by sea voyages: casks that crossed the tropics in ships’ holds came back tasting better, and producers later recreated that heat on land.

Red grapes

White grapes

Malvasia Fina Sercial Verdelho Terrantez Malvasia (Madeira)

Wines from Madeira

Madeira

Vinho da Madeira

Fortified wine from the island of Madeira, aged with heat and air until it becomes almost indestructible. Cheaper wines are warmed in tanks (estufagem); the best age slowly in casks in warm lofts (canteiro). An opened bottle keeps for months, and century-old vintages are still lively.

Critics: up to 97 pts

Bottles to try

Blandy’s 5 Year Old Bual Madeira

Blandy’s · Madeira

€19.49Mid-range

Henriques & Henriques Single Harvest 1997 Madeira

Henriques & Henriques · Madeira

€39.49Special

Blandy’s 15 Year Old Sercial Madeira

Blandy’s · Madeira

€53.0950 clSplurge

Producers

Blandy’s

Funchal · Madeira

The Blandy family has made Madeira for more than two centuries. Its Funchal lodge is one of the island’s main visitor attractions.

Barbeito

Câmara de Lobos · Madeira

A small, innovative house known for precise, very fresh Madeiras made without added caramel colouring.

Henriques & Henriques

Câmara de Lobos · Madeira

One of the island’s great old houses, with deep stocks of aged and vintage Madeira.

Pereira D’Oliveira

Funchal · Madeira

A family house famous for its huge library of old Frasqueira vintages, some from the 1800s, still sold at its Funchal shop.

Justino’s

Caniço · Madeira

The island’s largest producer and a major exporter of Madeira.