Funchal

Drinking a glass of old Madeira wine in Funchal is more than a tasting: you taste the history of the island in it. In historic wine lodges, the wine ages for years—sometimes decades—in wooden barrels under the influence of natural heat. The wine is fortified and, during maturation, develops an exceptional combination of freshness, complexity, and aging potential. Heat and oxidation give rise to aromas of dried fruit, caramel, nuts, spices, and citrus. Unlike many other wines, old Madeira often remains remarkably lively and fresh.

Funchal is the historical heart of the Madeira wine trade . Here barrels gathered, here ships carrying wine departed for the world, and here wineries still store old vintages. Drinking a glass of Verdelho , Bual, or Malvasia in such a cellar connects the taste with the place where that tradition has lived on for generations.

Choose a 10- or 15-year-old Madeira, for example: old enough to show the typical depth, but still very accessible. The age statement refers to the number of years the wine has matured in barrels.

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