Wine Tasting Tours in Madeira

Madeira wine has been celebrated for over 500 years, surviving long sea voyages that would spoil ordinary wine and becoming a favorite of founding fathers and European royalty alike. Wine tours offer an immersive journey into this unique winemaking tradition.

Tours typically visit historic cellars in Funchal where wines have aged for decades (some over 100 years), vineyards on the sunny south coast where grapes grow on terraced hillsides, and traditional quintas (wine estates) that have produced wine for generations.

Expert guides explain the unique estufagem heating process that gives Madeira wine its distinctive character, and tastings include the four main grape varieties: Sercial (dry), Verdelho (medium dry), Bual (medium sweet), and Malmsey (sweet). Many tours also include food pairings with local cheeses, honey cake, and traditional dishes.