Our Madeira wine tasting in Lisbon pours four 10-year-old Madeiras from Barbeito, one of the most respected houses on the island: a Sercial, a Verdelho, a Boal and a Malvasia, from the driest to the sweetest. It lasts about an hour, costs €60 per person from 2 guests (€80 for one guest) and takes place at POP, our wine shop in Graça, 100 metres from the Miradouro da Senhora do Monte. Most people have only met Madeira in a sauce. This hour fixes that.
- Price€60 per person from 2 guests, €80 for one
- DurationAbout 1 hour
- In the glass4 Madeiras, all 10 years old, from Barbeito
- SessionsEvery day, every hour from 14:00 to 19:00 (last session)
- OptionGourmet snacks and Madeira pairing, +€15 per person
- LanguagesEN, FR, PT, ES
What’s in the four glasses?
| Madeira | What you taste | Best with |
|---|---|---|
| Sercial (dry) | Lemon peel, almonds, a very sharp finish | Salted almonds, olives, as an aperitif |
| Verdelho (medium dry) | Dried apricot, a little smoke, walnut | Cured ham, mushroom dishes |
| Boal (medium rich) | Caramel, dried fig, raisins | Aged cheese, nut cake |
| Malvasia (rich) | Coffee, orange marmalade, molasses | Dark chocolate, bolo de mel |
On Madeira, the grape on the label also tells you how sweet the wine is. Sercial grows in the coolest, highest vineyards and barely ripens, so it ends up almost dry. Malvasia comes from warmer spots and keeps much more sugar. Same age, same producer, four very different glasses. What links them is the acidity. Even the Malvasia, which is properly sweet, finishes clean. That is the thing guests remember.
What makes Madeira different from Port?
Both are fortified: grape spirit is added to stop the fermentation. After that they go separate ways. Madeira is aged warm, on purpose. In the 17th and 18th centuries, casks crossed the tropics in the holds of ships and came back tasting better than when they left. The island has been recreating that heat ever since.
Cheap Madeira is heated in tanks to speed things up. Barbeito does it the slow way: the wine sits in casks in warm lofts for years. The result has already been exposed to heat and air, so an open bottle hardly changes. Keep it in a cupboard and it will still be good months later. We don’t know another wine you can say that about.
Honest opinion: 10-year-old Madeira is one of the best-value fortified wines in Portugal. Most visitors skip it because nobody has poured them a good one.
How does the hour go?
You come up to POP, Rua da Senhora do Monte 38C. The sommelier starts with a few minutes on the island itself: volcanic soil, steep terraces, trade winds, and why a wine from the middle of the Atlantic ended up on 18th-century tables in London and Virginia.
Then the four glasses, from Sercial to Malvasia. For each one: what the grape is, what to smell for, how sweet it really is, and what “10 years old” means on a label (a blend whose style matches that age, not a single vintage). Ask anything. That is what the hour is for.
The Madeiras you taste are on our shelves at shop price, if you want to take one home.
Rather try Port, or a bit of everything?
Our Port wine tasting pours five Ports with dark chocolate (€50). The fortified wine tasting puts a Madeira next to Port, Carcavelos and Moscatel de Setúbal (€50). Coming as a group? See our private wine tastings.
How do I get to the tasting?
POP is at Rua da Senhora do Monte 38C, in Graça, just above Alfama. Tram 28 stops at Graça, five minutes on foot. Bus 737 also stops a few minutes away. From Baixa-Chiado it is a 15 to 20 minute walk, uphill. After the tasting, the Miradouro da Senhora do Monte is 100 metres away. Go at sunset.
Madeira tasting: your questions
How much is the Madeira wine tasting in Lisbon?
€60 per person from 2 guests, for four 10-year-old Barbeito Madeiras (Sercial, Verdelho, Boal and Malvasia). Booking alone, it is €80.
How long does it last?
About one hour. Sessions run every day, every hour from 14:00 to 19:00 (last session).
Is Madeira wine sweet?
Not always. Sercial is dry, Verdelho medium dry, Boal medium rich and Malvasia sweet. You taste all four side by side, so you will know which one you like.
Can I add food?
Yes. Gourmet snacks paired with the Madeiras cost €15 per person. You add them when you book.
Can I cancel?
Yes, cancellation is free up to 48 hours before your tasting.
Can I buy the Madeiras I taste?
Yes. They are sold in the shop at retail price.