Madeira?

Visiting Madeira in the fall this year. Would love to hear of any restaurant/hotel recs, and any small-time producers to visit!

Thanks!

Adrian, I’ve been to the island five times, and the last three visits I’ve stayed at the Cliff Bay Hotel, which I highly recommend. I’d have to go back through my notes, etc. to recall restaurant names, so I’ll check over the weekend and get back to you.

http://www.portobay.com/en/hotels/portugal/madeira-island-portugal/the-cliff-bay/

Borges may be my favorite shipper. They don’t have a US importer. Nothing really old anymore but what they have left is superb.
Barros e Sousa is a tiny firm. They don’t really ship anymore, but will mail wine to Europe. Very old school. They were bought out by D’Oliveiras last year but are kept separate, at least for now. Very austere and high acid wines, but very distinctive. Again, nothing really old anymore.
If you can swing it, take a boat trip to the Faja dos Padres. At one time, the most famous vineyard on the island. Legendary for it’s Malvasia Candida (Malmsey). Now it’s mainly fruit trees, but the vines are making a comeback. Guest houses are on the property and there is a nice, simple restaurant for lunch.

Bob: I’ve been looking at that hotel, nice to get a +1 from a fellow berserker

Eric: thanks so much for the suggestions of Borges and Barros e Sousa. Did you contact them to set up a tasting or do they have a tasting room like Blandy’s?

Borges has a tasting room. Not sure about Barros e Sousa since the sale. You used to just walk in and one of the Olim Brothers would show you around and taste with you. Both brothers are in their 70’s with no heirs, so that’s why they sold. Fortunately, they sold to D’Oliveiras next door. I’m actually going to visit the island next month and may have more info you afterwards.

Eric: looking forward to your thoughts!

Yeah, Eric, that was one of the nice things about Barros e Sousa - on one of my visits, I got a pretty nice picture of me drinking a glass of Madeira with the older brother .

Adrian, as far as some restaurants, another reason I like the Cliff Bay as a “base of operations” is that they are conveniently located to three of my favorite eateries:

Restaurante Tokos is a very tiny place with pristinely fresh seafood right at the top of the Cliff Bay driveway - reservations mandatory because it’s so small.

http://www.restaurantetokos.com/index.php?lang=en

Close by is Casa Madeirense - I believe that is also open for lunch as well, and on certain evenings they will have local folk/Fado singers come in and perform. Larger menu that Tokos, and also quite good.

Finally, the Villa Cipriani restaurant at Reid’s hotel - check out the link, as this may be the most spectacular dining view at night in the city .

I’ve got more business cards from places right downtown in Funchal as well, but I still have to dig them up.

Just got back. Stayed at the Melia Mare. Very nice place. I especially appreciated the decent fitness room. After too much food and wine on a daily basis, it kept me feeling decent.
Had a great visit at Borges. They do have a tasting room, but don’t really do tours. They are closed for lunch. Superb 40 year old Malvasia at 120 euros. The 1979 Sercial and 1977 Boal are excellent at 65 and 70 euros respectively. The real buys remain the 15 year old varietal wines at 21 euros each. All are excellent but I gave the edge to the malmsey. I just wished they imported to the States. I’d stock up a case of each!
Artur Barros e Sousa’s lodge is closed for now. D’Oliveiras is refurbishing it. It did need it. If you ask the right people at D’Oliveiras, they might sell you a bottle. Must pay cash, however, since the bottles are not in the D’Oliveras electronic inventory list. There is a bottle shop on the ocean side promenade near the Melia Mare which had a lot of ABSL wines. Not cheap however.
You can visit the Old Blandy’s lodge and museum. There are several tours available for a fee. Can also visit the tasting room and taste some of the older stuff for a fee. Also have magnums of the 1920 Boal and 1969 Boal.
Barbeito’s winery is in Camara dos Lobos and can be toured. An appointment would be best. Prices are not much better than in the States. However, the 40 year old Malvasia Mae Manuela is sold out in the States as far as I know.
Henriques & Henriques is also close by in Camara dos Lobos. The “Heavenly Quartet” of the WS Boal, the Grand Old Boal, the Malvazia Reserva, and the Sercial Reserva are all for sale. Expensive, however, at 1200 euros for the Sercial up to 2000 euros for the WS Boal. If you make any very expensive purchases, ask to fill out the VAT refund. You’ll not get the full amount back, but it’ll be a good percentage of it. Save your receipts. At the Funchal airport, go to the office downstairs. Show your bottles, the receipt, and the form to the office and you can get the VAT refund.
Justino’s is not set up for visits.
D’Oliveiras has the greatest selection. Can buy the 1850 Verdelho as well as the other 19th century wines. Not cheap, but undervalued given the age, history, and quality IMHO. Again, I’d probably purchase in the States unless there is a bottling you want not available in the states. It might be good to download the Rare Wine Company’s inventory and prices before you go.
As far as restaurants, the best we went to were Goya, across the street from the Melia Mare, and Armazem do Sol in the old quarter of Funchal’s center. Other good places were Taberna da Esquin for seafood on Rue de Santa Maria; Beef and Wine for meat (avoid the seafood) on the waterfront; Mozart, despite the kitchy guy dressed as the composer; and O Classico at the Hotel Dues Torres on the Estrada Monumental. Another good place is the Chalet Vincent a few blocks from Reids. Kitchy looking, and I’d never had gone there by myself. It looks too touristy, but the people from the IVBAM, the Madeira Wine and handicrafts regulatory agency, took us there for lunch and it was quite nice.
Hope the info is helpful and you have as much fun as I did.

Wow, Eric, thanks so much for the write-up. Lots of very useful information there. I’m headed there in early September, and I’ll definitely be hitting a few of those restaurant recs and trying to get my hands on some of those ABSL wines… they’re like unicorns here in the US.

By the way, the 1920 Blandy’s Bual is a freaking awesome wine. I’ve never seen a magnum of madeira though… that’s pretty baller.

I brought back three of the ABSL. I only wish I had more room in my shipper!

Has anyone been to Madeira more recently than 2014? I’m headed that way in November and would love recent restaurant recs and notes on tasting visits and tours…

I was there again this past spring.
Blandy’s has opened a pretty nice café in their old cellars. Bistro 1811. Good food. They also had some superb Portuguese table wines on their list. They’ve expanded the number of wines available in magnum. Can also taste, for a fee, many of their older wines. Couple of us did an impromptu Terrantez tasting. Unfortunately sold out of the 1920 Boal. They will probably bottle the last of it in 2020.
ABSL is completely closed. Don’t know where you can find any of their wines anymore. Pity.
Armazem do Sol is still pretty good. I still like Chalet Vincent as well.
Give Barbeito a call and see if Ricardo Freitas is around. Definitely go if he is.

Any photos from a trip?

A few views from a levada walk this past spring.

Outdoor swimming pools on the north shore.

Camera dos Lobos harbor

In the Barbeito blending room with Ricardo Freitas

The Blandy’s “secret” cellar

Tasting with Luiz D’Oliveira at the D’Oliveiras lodge. And yes, we tasted all the wines behind him!