Funchal and it's delights - Blandy's Wine Lodge & the Maderia Wine Festival

Also in Funchal, is the Madeira Wine Company. This is formed by three producers of wine – Blandys, Cossart Gordons, and Henriques. The company is housed in the Adegas de Sao Francisco, and is owned by the Blandy family.

There are numerous points of interest, but of course, the two things I was interested in, were the Vintage room, where you can pay in excess of €25 to try to seriously old Madeira wine.

The most amazing thing about the Vintage room, is the fact that they have all these really expensive bottles of wine on shelves with doors fronted by what I think is chicken wire!

The bottles are something rather special though.  Each one is hand stencilled with the name of the producer, the grape variety and the year that it was bottled. 

For a wine to be declared a vintage, in must be left in the barrel for about 20 years, then the master vinter sends four bottles to the Maderia Wine Institute, who decide if it is a vintage year.  The first two bottles are tested, the third is then placed in the cellar, so that a record is kept of the wine.  The fourth bottle I've been unable to find out what happens to - I personally think that it gets drunk!

However,  if like me, you’re not a wine buff, head for the Max Romer “Taste & Buy Bar”.

The first time I visited Madeira, I went to the Max Romer bar, and the thing that has stayed with me, was the sight of a group of tourists (I think they were Scandinavian) getting steadily plastered the whole time Mum and I were in there. They were so drunk, they were nearly falling off the seats. Made for good entertainment, I have to admit.

Because of the time of year that I was in Madeira, it was the Madeira Wine Festival. This starts on a Friday night, and goes through to the Sunday night.

There was a whole raft of different displays, not to mention people getting seriously drunk on the various offerings from small stalls.

I made one mistake though – I tried the Poncha that was on sale. It was like drinking paint stripper – it was almost neat firewater. Normally, Poncha is a “refined” mixture of honey, lemon juice and firewater (ok – sugar cane rum) but this was revolting. Guess it served me right for trying something that was on sale during the wine festival!

Ah well, guess I should log off and bog off - we've got vistors arriving and I've been told I can't be anti-social.  Real shame really...

Back tomorrow.

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go 
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most