Madeira.Vacations

Blandy's Wine Lodge

Madeira wine, aged in the roof, tasted in a 17th-century convent.

Old wooden casks of Madeira wine in the Blandy's lodge in Funchal
Photo: H. Zell · CC BY-SA 3.0

The best-known of Funchal's wine lodges, in a building that started life as a Franciscan convent. Tours cover the estufagem and canteiro ageing methods and end with a tasting from dry Sercial to sweet Malmsey.

Why Madeira wine is odd

It is deliberately heated and oxidised — a technique discovered when barrels crossing the tropics came back better than they left. That makes it almost indestructible: an opened bottle keeps for months, and vintages from the 19th century are still drinkable.

The canteiro lofts at the top of the lodge, where casks age slowly in the natural heat of the roof, are the part worth seeing.

Tours and tastings

Guided tours run through the day in several languages, with premium tastings for older vintages. The shop will ship, and the wine bar is open without a tour.

Local tips

  • — Start with the dry Sercial and work up — the sweet styles overwhelm everything after them.

Guided trips here

Bookable tours that include or focus on this spot.

  • Colourful produce stalls at Funchal's Mercado dos Lavradores
    3.5 hours Funchal

    Madeira Wine & Food Tour

    A guided walk through Funchal's old town tasting Madeira wine, local dishes and market produce, with the stories behind each stop.

    from €95

    Check availability
  • Madeira Guided Wine Tour & Extra's in Madeira
    1.5 hours Madeira 5.0(13)

    Madeira Guided Wine Tour & Extra's

    We have combined the best Madeira Wine tasting tour in Funchal.

    from €35

    Check availability
  • Madeira: Private Half-Day Wine Tasting Tour in Madeira
    3 hours Madeira 4.7(27)

    Madeira: Private Half-Day Wine Tasting Tour

    Start with pickup from your hotel on Madeira, or the port of Funchal, and visit the Henriques & Henriques winery. Take a guided tour of the facility and learn about the history and production of their fine Madeira wines.

    from €160

    Check availability
  • Skywalk with Wines Tasting and Vineyards Half day 4x4 Adventure in Madeira
    4 hours Madeira 4.9(535)

    Skywalk with Wines Tasting and Vineyards Half day 4x4 Adventure

    Embark on an unforgettable journey from Funchal to Cabo Girão, one of the highest sea cliffs in the world at 580 meters.

    from €75

    Check availability
  • Amazing Skywalk, Wine Tasting & 4x4 Adventure + Dolphin Watching in Madeira
    8 hours Madeira 4.9(40)

    Amazing Skywalk, Wine Tasting & 4x4 Adventure + Dolphin Watching

    From Funchal we will go uphill to Boca dos Namorados, with its wonderful landscapes; from this fantastic place, we will see the famous Nun’s Valley and the viewpoint of Eira do Serrado.

    from €89

    Check availability
  • Wines Tasting Experience and Skywalk with Dolphin Watching in Madeira
    8 hours Madeira 4.9(34)

    Wines Tasting Experience and Skywalk with Dolphin Watching

    "Enjoy the famous vineyards at São Vicente, the amazing skywalk at Cabo Girão and the beauty of Madeira’s Sea on board of a catamaran" From Funchal we will go to Serra d'Agua, a valley at the center of the island, before going off…

    from €109

    Check availability

Stay nearby

Where to base yourself for this part of the island.

Nearby

Within a short drive, so they combine into one day.

Read next