Wine Tasting in São Vicente Madeira 2

When you say Madeira and wine, everyone immediately thinks about the dessert fortified wine that has made the island famous all over the world. But traditional wines are also produced in Madeira, even if it is only 5% of the total wine production.

There are not many producers, but more and more they are proving that they can produce quality wines as well. Popular are the white Verdelho and the red Touriga National and Aragonéz. These wines are rarely exported, so visitors to these wineries prefer to buy some bottles and sometimes pack them in their suitcases on the way to their homeland. To taste such wine, we went to the northern coast, to São Vicente, one of the greenest parts of the island.

Visiting this place was one of the most beautiful and authentic experiences in Madeira for me. On the slopes, the vineyards look like big green waves, village houses nestle in the valley and the striking white tower with the clock of the Chapel of Our Lady of Fatima (Capelinha de Nossa Senhora de Fatima) seems to watch over them.

We arrived at the Quinta do Barbusano winery in beautiful weather, which enhanced the whole experience. First, we went on a tour of the vineyards. The following photo with terraced mountain vineyards shows the difference compared to our vineyards.

The vines here are grown horizontally, this method is called “latada”. The grapes are tied to the same height as the house. The resulting “roof” allows better access for grape pickers and at the same time protects them from the sun. Potatoes and other vegetables are grown under this natural roof, and a few sheep rested here in the shade (they provide natural fertilizer).

The tour was very informative, our young guide Juliet was very knowledgeable about grape growing, wines and the wine-making process. She introduced us to the many challenges they have to face here: different weather conditions – the north coast is wetter compared to the sunnier and drier south; the sloping terrain and also the proximity of the ocean – the grapes on the other, “salty”, end of the vineyards close to the sea are collected and processed separately.

The path is lined with stone walls, built by hand. Lizards basked on some stones. The winery was founded in 2006 by António Oliveira, a native of São Vicente. He is the largest producer of traditional wine in Madeira and the largest owner of vineyards on the island with plots in several areas. It currently has 27 hectares. They produce 80-100 thousand bottles per year and only a very small amount is exported, mainly to the United Kingdom and Estonia. In 2018, a new building was built in which tasting programs began to be organized, which can also be combined with a traditional lunch prepared for you by Senhor António himself.

Juliet presented us with 6 different wines – white, rose and red. The labels are also interesting, especially those that show the owner António with two glasses in his hands, to indicate that this wine is very easy to drink…

My favourite was the red wine Aragonéz 2020 – a single-varietal wine, made from the selection of Aragonéz grapes. A surprising wine, medium-bodied with a good finish. Trilogy of palate due to the profusion of aromas of red fruit, toast and coffee – as it says on the label.

During our tasting, workers from the vineyards began to gather outside. Their season had just ended, all the grapes had already been harvested.

António carried large pots full of roast meat, poured wine and spoke to everyone. It was very nice to watch the group enjoying lunch together as one big family. After they left, António started preparing lunch for us. And not just any dish, but the most typical culinary speciality of Madeira – espetada – a beef skewer.

First, he cut large pieces of meat, which he impaled on sticks from the branches of the laurel tree (known also as bay leaf). They give the meat an unmistakable flavour. He inserted a hook into each stick.

Then he sprinkled the meat with a handful of salt and grilled it over charcoal. The most typical level is medium rare. But it’s not a problem if you ask (like me) to bake until well done.

When the meat was grilled, António hung the skewers on a metal structure directly above our table. The meat released the juice into a small plate, in which we dipped the bolo do caco – a typical Madeira flat, round bread with garlic butter.

Vegetable salad and boiled potatoes were served with the meat. The portions were so big that we couldn’t finish them. And of course, the matching delicious red wine…

At the end of the lunch, we received an excellent passion fruit pudding, which is also one of the main pillars of traditional Madeiran cuisine. António’s sister prepared it for us.

They say love goes through the stomach. I think this also applies to the love of places. If you really liked very much the food somewhere, you will definitely love that place. That’s how this beautiful green valley with the iconic white tower on the hill in the middle will remain in my memories. If I ever return to Madeira, I will definitely return to this place and climb the 173 steps leading to the chapel to see the beautiful surroundings to all sides…

The winery is part of the Madeira Wine Route. For a visit and tasting, you can contact them via Facebook: Quinta do Barbusano , Instagram, by email: quintadobarbusano@gmail.com or by phone: +351 926 637 730

Extra tip: An excellent opportunity to get to know and taste wines from Madeira producers is the annual Madeira Wine Lounge festival in September at the Praça do Povo square on the waterfront in Funchal, where visitors can enjoy wines and gastronomic specialities to the sounds of regional music.