Top 10 Madeira (Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides)

Henriques & Henriques,
& Câmara de Lobos
Founded in 1850, the firm of
Henriques & Henriques has won
a string of medals and awards in
recent years for its attempts to
dispel the fusty image of Madeira
wine and win back a younger
clientele. To this end, they have
introduced stylish modern labels
and bottle designs, while retaining
the traditional qualities of the
wines themselves. d Estrada Santa
Clara 10 • Map F6 • 291 941 551
* Quinta do Furão, Santana
This hotel, restaurant and
wine shop belonging to the
Madeira Wine Company is set
amid extensive vineyards near
Santana, in the north of the
island. Visitors can follow trails
through the vineyards, and help
with the harvest during late
summer and early autumn (even
treading grapes the old-fashioned
way). d Achada do Gramacho • Map H2
• 291 570 100
( Lagar d’Ajuda, Funchal
This heavily timbered shop
set around an antique wine press
has a comprehensive stock of
ports, sherries and Portuguese
regional wines, as well as
Madeira from a range of island
producers. d Galerias Jardins da
Ajuda, Estrada Monumental • Map G6
• 291 771 551
) Airport Shop, Funchal
Airport
If you suddenly decide you simply
cannot go home without a
bottle or two of Madeira, the
Madeira Wine Company has a
duty-free shop at the airport,
where you can buy 3-, 5-, 10- and
15-year-old wines, as well as a
selection of single-grape, singleharvest
vintage wines that are
over 20 years old. d Map K5
For more on Madeira wine See p13
Top 10 Madeiran
Wine Terms
! Sercial
The driest of the traditional
Madeira wines – excellent
as an aperitif or with soup.
@ Verdelho
A tawny, medium dry wine
good for drinking with food.
# Bual/Boal
A nutty dessert wine ideal
with cheese or puddings.
$ Malmsey/Malvasia
The richest and sweetest
Madeira wine, best for afterdinner
drinking.
% Dry, Medium Dry and
Medium Sweet
Wines with these names are
three years old, and made from
tinta negra mole grapes. They
lack the depth of real Madeira.
^ Estufagem
The process of ageing the
wine in casks kept in an estufa
(hothouse), or of heating the
wine in tanks to make it age
even faster. The second method
yields inferior results.
& Canteiro
The term “Canteiro” is
used to distinguish quality
wines and is a slow method
of ageing Madeira in casks
heated naturally by the sun.
* Reserve
A blend of wines made by
the two methods of estufagem
and with an average age
of five years. Made mostly
with tinta negra mole grapes.
( Special Reserve
A blend of wines aged in
casks for about ten years. They
are usually made with the noble
grape varieties (1–4 above).
) Vintage Wines
The finest Madeira, aged
for a minimum of 20 years in
casks and a further two years
in the bottle.
Madeira’s Top 10 59