At my most recent visit to Madeira, Paulo Mendes told me about a project he had started together with Foundation Plant Services at UC Davis in California; to have Listrão scientifically confirmed to be the same (or not) as…
The stenciled bottle says 1944. Instantly that activates a lot of emotions and thoughts. What was it like back then, in Madeira and having your island captured by a world war? It must have been slightly depressing, harvesting grapes while…
I’m in The Netherlands to attend an epic Port Wine tasting arranged by Moritz Peeters who runs Wijnhandel Peeters. Great stuff ranging from 1945 to the very latest extra-ordinary year of 2011. And yet I end up with a…
Young Madeira and a classic grape. In my world there’s no doubt; Verdelho and Malvasia are the ones that offer most of their respective grape typicity. Perhaps because they have a quite clear, defined style from the beginning? The…
Situation #1 Ok, so you’re new to Madeira but curious to taste a few wines. And you ask me for advice. Here’s one of the first I’d recommend you to try; Blandy’s 5 years old Sercial. Situation #2 Ok,…
In the search for the unique expressions that Madeira wines offer, we tend to focus too much on vintage stuff and forget about the more available blends. I’ve been quite critical when it comes to younger Madeira wines, finding…
The 1984 Vintage Verdelho from Blandy’s made me thinking. How come wines like this, shaped in a subtle and elegant way, rarely gets the attention they deserves? Is it a must that vintage Madeira needs intensity, everlasting length and…
The point of writing about a wine few will ever taste? No, it’s not about bragging. Not at all. It’s just that when a wine reaches such heights as the Vinhos Barbeito 1875 Malvasia Garrafão no. 22, I feel…
The clouds embraces the majestic and all year around green mountain tops. From our miradouro – viewpoint – at around 700 meters above the sea level, there are no vineyards above us. This is as high as vines can…
In 1508, Funchal received the status of a city by King Manuel I. This was of course celebrated in 2008, in connection with the city’s 500th anniversary. The company of H.M. Borges thought that was worth one heck of…
Last year, the new producer Madeira Vintners used their facilities and winery for the first time. Few have visited so here’s a sneak preview of the interior, exterior and inventory. For the bottled wines you still have to show…
Among all wine events visiting Stockholm throughout the year, the Wines of Portugal day, arranged by ViniPortugal, are often one of the best. The 2014 version was not only yet a well organized journey through Portuguese wines, it was…
It’s delicious to eat, the Listrão, but now I am about to taste my first young vinified version of it. And what adds extra excitement, is the fact that next to the Listrão there’s a Caracol. Porto Santo re-enters…
Don’t you just love it, when you still can sense the primary fruit and the typicity of a grape variety – and yet get some age and balance on top of that? Welcome to the world of colheitas! The…
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