Madeira wine festival and Dinner, 2026
Held between the 27 August to 13 September 2026 at the wine lounges, Praça do Povo, Funchal sea front.
The wine lounge concept really seems to work, the evenings were popular with Madeirans and visitors and the music was great.
It was an excellent chance to catch up with many of the Madeiran table wine producers and taste their latest bottlings, which I did over 3 evenings and I just loved it.
I focused principally on tasting the white and rose ranges on offer and I was spoilt for choice. There were ten producers of table wines present. All proving popular and all offering a small taste before you buy and then (if you proceed to purchase) offering a generous pouring alongside a huge helping of enthusiasm for their wines, and they are absolutely right to be enthusiastic as Madeira table wines are (especially the whites and rose’s) have indeed have evolved into excellent table wines. These are largely based around the Verdelho grape as the backbone for whites, and the Tinta Negra making an excellent backbone for the rose styles.
In no particular order of preference here are my thoughts on Madeira’s table wines as tasted at the 2026 wine lounge over 3 evening.
Rose wines
The Seiçal winery (Adega do Seiçal) produced quite light and delightful rose wine which was available at the wine lounge. Madeira rose wines range from the full flavoured (Barbusano) to the lighter and refreshing (Atlantis), with Seiçal coming in strait down the line between the two as smooth, crisp and lightly fruity and very good indeed with a nice length to it. This is a wine to drink on its own on a warm evening, or with lighter and more delicate dishes such as chicken or fish. I just love the labels on this wine, illustrating the coast line of the north of Madeira. Super.
Barbusano rose by contrast is a much deeper colour and a much more powerful wine, obviously containing exclusively Tinta Negra, giving it a robustness and presence. If you are going garlicky, or pizza or pasta or even rich risotto this is a good choice. Barbusano also produce some excellent whites, principally Verdelho led, which are smooth and the older ones quite long and elegant.
Atlantis rose from Blandy’s is probably the first commercialised Madeira table wine being launched in the 1990s. It is a popular table wine and offers great value for money. It is light, refreshing and gently crisp and offers an easy drinking experience. This wine slips down and tingles the taste buds beautifully. My co-taster (and partner) is borderline addicted to this wine at lunchtimes!
Boneca de Canudo, from Machico, towards the eastern most tip of the island on the south coast produces fresh fruity and zingy Rose. This fresh fruit first rose with a good level of minerality and crispness that reflects the terrroir of where the grape is grown. A very enjoyable glass of wine on a warm evening prior to a meal. The Caracol grape from Porto Santo is also vinted by Boneca de Canudo and referred to as The Snail! These are vines that are 40 to 80 years old. The terroir is very different from Madeira with much of the land being clay and sandy. Innovation in action. You can book a visit to this winery.
Onto the whites;
Terras do Avô, from Sociedade Duarte Caldeira e Filhos – Seixal Wines, Lda. (Terras do Avô loosely translating to fields of my grandfather) is proving popular and appearing on many restaurants wine list, including one of my favourites – Dona Amelia. The white, with that eye catching label is a dry Verdelho led wine (with a touch of Arsnburger), gently crisp initially on the tongue but quickly smoothes out with some background fruit (a little bit citrus and apricot) and freshness, it will certainly pair well with fish. The winery as the name suggests is in the North of the island, near the coast at Seixal
Justino – Colombo (Justino is also famous for its traditional Madeira wines I had to have a cheeky glass of their 10 years old Sercial as part of my research, one of my all- time favourites!) produces some excellent (and increasingly innovative) table wines under the Colombo label. For innovation, I am taken with Justinos Colombo Caracol and Listrão White, the Listrão grapes, I believe coming from Porto Santo. This is a special wine with an amazing taste profile ranging from a salty note to a pineapple or a melange of tropical fruits as part of the flavour profile. Fascinating. The Colombo Arnsburger – Verdelho blend is also very good. Justino really has got a handle on Verdelho table wines. This wine has a good mineral note coming through alongside the tropical tones. A rounded smooth wine due to the use of new French oak for aging 50% of the wine vinted. This wood aging makes it special and especially good. I sincerely hope more Madeira table wine producers explore the use of wood in aging their wines as it appears to work very well with the Verdelho grape. Really good wines from Justino. I am so impressed.
Palmeira e Voltas is produced by Octávio Ascenção Ferraz with grapes grown on the sunnier south coast of the island near Camara do Lobos. And I think you can tell. The blend is Verdelho led, with a touch of Arnsburger, but also a touch of Boal. This grape blend combination and south coast Madeiran sunshine makes for a delightful wine. The colour is a distinct and distinguished straw gold tone and the wine shimmers of sunshine. I am possibly drinking with my eyes, but I enjoyed a glass of Palmeira e Voltas immensely. The taste was smooth and compelling, with Boal mediating the wine with a gentle viscosity and flavour of honey and cirtus notes that was very pleasing indeed. This producer also has an excellent red: Xavelha, one of Madeira’s best reds in my view.
Octávio Freitas Wines, a new wine producer to me and my very first taste of this wine….white was the one for me of course. I was taken by the beautiful packaging and labelling of this wine range and the taste did not disappoint. Grown near Calheta in the vineyards of Socalco Nature. I tasted a Verdelho led blend of wine that had Boal and Terrantez, which took me aback. Terrantez is a wonderful traditional Madeira wine which I very much enjoy. I very much enjoyed this wine, being impressed with its rounded smooth flavour. This is a superb iteration of Madeira table wine, using traditional grapes. Just a wonderful wine.
Madeira wine festival dinner.
We were lucky enough to get hold of a pair of tickets for Saturday evening dinner, a world class combo production from H M Borges and Kampo. I have enjoyed dining at Kampo on several occasions (a real restaurant of repute). I have huge admiration and respect for H M Borges who make some of the finest Madeira wines in my view.
By chance we arrived in time to hear a presentation from H M Borges about their wines along with an audience Q and A, which was informative and enjoyable in equal measure, as were a couple of measures of Madeira offered to illustrate the talk. H M Borges showcased 2 of their excellent Colheita wines a 2015 Tinta Negra – a sweet iteration with wonderful notes of vanilla and chocolate lurking in the background alongside more traditional notes of caramel, honey in a luscious confection tangling with some spices and nuts (particularly almonds).
Prior to this delight was I feel the most impressive Tinta Negra Colheita wine I have ever tasted. This wine has proved a point to me, Tinta Negra can really make exceptional dry Madeira wines. This wine is quite unique. I am told it was aged in French oak and American oak barrels producing a remarkably attractive and attention grabbing colour – deep gold. Naturally the wine has all the delightful flavours we come to expect from a Madeira – caramel, honey and nuts, but the wood ageing regime seems to add an interesting new drying dimension to the wine, gently but firmly curbing the sweetness and presenting a wine with a persistent flavour and velvety smoothness exhibiting drier notes of restrained iodine and spice. Unusual, unique a Colheita elite. Imagine my delight when this wine was served with starter courses at the dinner! Yes, starter courses – there was 3 of them.
The wine festival dinner delivered with style and aplomb by Kampo. The dishes were excellent, the service a delight and the wines wonderful. All the wines came from H M Borges and they paired with the meal just beautifully. The Boal served with the pudding was exquisite, what a choice with a chocolate dessert.
The wine festival informed me of the latest iterations of Madeira’s exciting, innovative and excellent table wines now being produced. We are seeing the use of some of Madeira’s traditional grapes, Tinta Negra, Verdelho, Boal and Terrantez, grapes that Madeiran farmers know how to grow. We are seeing wood aging of table wines. We are seeing super Madeiran table wines.
It would have been negligent of me not to use my time at the wine festival to taste a range of traditional Madeira wines from HM Borges, Justino, Blandy’s and D’Oliveiras. While the wine may differ in style the quality is uniformly exceptional.