Blandy's Wine Lodge, Funchal, Madeira
If Madeira is famous for one single thing, then it has to be its wine. And, Old Blandy's Wine Lodge is perhaps the most famouse of all Madeira's wine lodges.
Used to toast the occasion by the 55 signatories of the American Declaration of Independence on 4th July 1776, it is easy to understand just why Sir Winston Churchill commented: "To drink Madeira is to sip history with every glass."
There are at least three wine lodges in Funchal open to the public. But, the Old Blandy's Wine lodge, situated in the main street that runs from Funchal's Municipal Gardens toward the city's main square, has to be the most popular. And, with good reason.
Now, no longer producing wines in Madeira's capital city, Blandy's Lodge House in Funchal is geared to entertaining and informing the visitor.
Indeed, the Madeira Wine Company, operators of the Old Blandy's Wine Lodge in Funchal and world renowned for its Blandy’s Madeiras, was awarded – for the 2nd year running - the “Portuguese Wine Producer of the Year 2010” by the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC).
Being the longest running wine competition in the world, the prestigious IWSC, reserves this presentation for companies and individuals that through their achievements make an outstanding contribution to their field and, as such, it is a highly regarded accolade. It can be no accident that the Madeira Wine Company received recognition for two years running!
So, make the effort and pre-book a tour around the lodge. You will not be disappointed.
Key Facts
Tours of the Old Blandy's Wine Lodge last approximately 45 minutes.
Tours are conducted in English, Portuguese, Spanish, German and French and you should request the language of choice when you book. Although the tour guides are usually multi-lingual, do not expect all five languages to be catered for on any particular tour.
One thing we liked when we visited was that you are free to ask any questions as you are guided around the lodge. This makes for an very interesting 40 minutes walk amongst the bottles, barrels and other wine making paraphernalia.
And, of course, at the end of the tour, there is plenty of opportunity to sample the goods.
| Old Blandy's Wine Lodge | |
|---|---|
| Location | 32 Avenida Arriaga, 9000-064 Funchal |
| Opening times: | |
| Monday to Friday Saturday Sunday | 10:00am to 6:30pm 10:00am to 1:00pm Closed |
| Fee for tour | €5.00 (includes free wine tasting) |
| Telephone | (351) 291 740 110 |
| (Details correct at November 2009) | |
The Blandys of Madeira: 1811-2011
Written by Marcus Binney - best known as the co-presenter of the 39-part TV series Great Houses of Europe - this intriguing book tells the remarkable story of the Blandy's family run business from its inception on Madeira right up to the modern day.
The story of the Blandys of Madeira is, at times, a surprising one with many twists and memories from a by-gone era.
The editor personally recommends
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History of Madeira Wine
Tracing the unique circumstances behind the development of present day Madeira wine leads us on an historical tale of mystery.
Wine making on the island of Madeira dates from the sixteenth century, but the product has not always possessed the unique blend of tastes that it does today.
A chance circumstance of history and a disobedient ship's crew lead, finally, to a discovery that bestows on Madeira wine its own particular niche in the marketplace.
Early traders would head for India, China and Japan. Their main customers being the European communities and military that was then present in Asia. Their ships carried their cargo of wine in large barrels of mahogany or oak.
Legend has it that, on one particular journey, some of the cargo was unsold and returned to Funchal.
Believing the goods to be spoilt, upon returning to his home port, the captain of the ship ordered the wine to be tipped overboard.
Thinking that to be rather wasteful, some of the sailors charged with the task, decided to undertaking a spot of sampling before disposing of the wine. To their surprise, and to the benefit of generation still unborn, the sailors found it to be of particularly good quality.
Indeed, the wine possessed a distinction of quality that was not present when it was first loaded on board at the beginning of the voyage. Obviously, something had occurred during the passage of the journey to greatly improved the palatability.
Hence, the unique qualities of Madeira wine were discovered.
For many years, it was believed that the swaying motion of the ships, as they carried their cargo across the seas, was responsible for creating this superior wine. Somehow, it was thought that the swilling about of the wine in the wooden casks produced its unique quality.
Thus, for decades, casks of wine were sent on a return sea voyage out from Funchal. The ships would set sail for the East or West Indies or venture across the equator and then back again to Funchal Port in order to aid the maturing process of their precious cargo.
Indeed, such was the customer demand for transported wines that such bottles were labelled as vinho da roda (indicating wines that have made a round trip).
However, this belief, that gently rocking the wine in its wooden cask improved its quality, was found to be false in the late eighteenth century.
But, why exactly did transporting the wine by sea considerably improve its quality?
What is the Secret of Madeira Wine?
If the gentle rocking of the ship, as it carried its cargo of Madeira wine, was not responsible for the improved quality then what was?
To reveal the secret of Madeira Wine's unique blend and taste, click on the tab below
Click Here to Reveal the Secret
It was not until the very late 17th century that the true secret behind the unique blend and taste of Madeira Wine was fully understood.
Up until the early 1790's, casks of the wine had routinely been taken by ship across the equator and then back again to Funchal. That the quality of the transported wine was greatly enhanced was not doubted, but the real reason for this improvement remained elusive.
Then, from the 1800 onward, it was discovered that the same improvement could be achieved without the necessity of a long sea voyage.
Thus, the wine Estufa store was introduced to the world!
The Wine Estufa is a building where the maturing wine is stored and heated.
The heating process replicates the effect of transporting casks of wine in the cramped and stuffy holds of ships as they sail across the equator.
The wine is slowly heated to temperatures of up to 55°C (130°F) for at least 90 days.
Originally, the Wine Estufa was a typically a two story building divided into different compartments. The different compartments aided heating of different batches of wine casks to different temperatures for varying periods of time. The entire structure would be heated by flues passing through it, fed by burning anthracite coal.
Today, stainless steel containers, amongst others, are used and the entire process is more scientific and strictly regulated by the Madeira Wine Institute.
Blandy's Wine Lodge Photos Gallery
Blandy's Wine Shop in Funchal
Courtyard entrance and stairway at the start of the Blandy's tour
Directions
By Foot:-
The Blandy's Wine Lodge is easily reached on foot.
From the entrance to Santa Catarina Park, cross over the Rotunda do Infante. This is the large roundabout with a steel sculpture of a globe in its middle.
You now walk along the Avenida Arriaga. This road is easily identifiable as it always has a row of taxis lined up alongside the Municipal Gardens.
As you continue walking along the Avenida Arriaga you will come to the shop front of the Old Blandy's Wine Lodge on your left.
If you pass the Tourist Information Office, or come to the statue of Zarco outside the Bank of Portugal's building, then you have gone too far.
Madeira Features
Funil Restaurant, Funchal
The Funil Restaurant in Funchal offers a friendly and fast service, providing an excellent option if you want to eat out in Funchal.
We have been going to the Funil now for seven years and the fact that we keep on going back must say something about the quality of their meals. Another good sign is that the restaurant is patronised by many locals as well - and if they can't identify good traditional Madeiran cooking, then nobody can.
There are plenty of regional speciality dishes on the menu. Our particular favourite is the Espada fish with fried banana.
In Madeira, the local fruit and vegetables are grown without the aid of chemicals and the fish are caught daily. So, you can be assured of a meal comprising of fresh, tasty and healthy ingredients from almost any local restaurant.
What makes the Funil Restaurant stand out for us is it's value-for-money menu.
The British Cemetery, Funchal
The British Cemetery can date its origin from 1770. Prior to that date, the laws of Madeira dictated that those deceased who were not Roman Catholic by faith were not to be buried on the island. Usually the corpses were consigned to the sea off the Garajau headland.
However, from 1772 onward, British interests secured a burial ground for those of the Protestant faith on the outskirts of Funchal.
The British Cemetery in Funchal still exists today, although its outer extent has shifted and supplemented over the years.
Many graves are crowded into the grounds. But, the headstones and memorial plaques do not reflect just those of British nationality. It has long been the custom to welcome the deceased of other national communities residing in Madeira.
The tranquillity and beauty of the grounds are a gentle reflection of Madeira's history.
