For The Love Of Port

Whether a hidden gem of an ancient bottle or an amazing price for a glass or bottle ... please do share the story!

My best madeira find was 1870 Donalson Sercial at Bern Steak House in Tampa. Since Bern has a fabulous and justifiably famous wine list, and a cellar with 900,000 bottles of wine, the place is a wine mecca. There are more than 50 madeiras available by the 0.5 ounce or 1.5 ounce pours, making tasting fun, if somewhat expensive. It helps to do your research on the wines in advance, since a recent visit showed me that the sommeliers (at least the one assisting my wife and I) don't know the madeira selections very well. That being said, a few years ago I chose the Donalson wine since I had never heard of the bottler before. As it turns out, it's an absorbed part of the Madeira Wine Company. The wine is a sensational sercial, and remains on the restaurants list. Beware, it's useful to ask to see thge bottles before they pour the wine, since some are near the bottom and have enough sediment to spoil a glass of madeira. Steve

I've always wanted to go to Berns. One day I'll make it.
The best find I've had was at Spruce in San Francisco. Roy recommended it. I found the RWC New Orleans Blend at $12 a glass and since I missed out on purchasing any, it was a welcome find.

I have been to Bern's many times, but only twice since I have become a fanatic for madeira. On the first occasion, I was in a dinner party of seven.
It should first be stated that Bern's has a separate, after-dinner room upstairs, the Harry Waugh Dessert Room. The dessert menu has about twenty pages of dessert wines, ports, brandys, cognacs, scotches (the list goes on) and, as Steve stated, numerous selections of madeira, many well into maturity.
I do not recall the specific glass of madeira I ordered, but I remember it was a 100+ years old bual. I allowed others to partake of the aroma, and enjoyed the glass while the others ate their kitchen-made desserts.
A good female friend, Robin, sampled the wine, and she too has become a madeira fanatic.
I woud be interested in finding other restaurants in Florida with madeiras available on the list, but they are a limited number.

Joe D'Achille

WD50 in NYC has a good and unexpected selection of Madeira by the glass.

The 1845 Cossart Gordon Solera Bual at Tra Vigne in Napa Valley, way back in 1997, which accelerated my efforts for my first ever trip to Madeira. And back when you could get it for maybe $145/bottle on the island at MWC. I think the glass price for 2oz was $40 at Tra Vigne. What a night that was. Since then I am lucky to find any madeira at all, let alone vintage madeira in the L.A. area, and so far only have seen the 1973 D'Oliveiras Verdelho - thankfully locally (Palate Food & Wine in Glendale) but I have yet to get it. And I usually don't go for the non-vintage; maybe twice in 10 years if even that. Probably shows I don't get out much or else that L.A. is painfully ignorant of the virtues of madeira . I suppose that has its silver lining.

Fossett's Restaurant at Keswick Hall near Charlottesville, VA, had an 1863 Barbeito Bual on their wine list a while back. They currently have an 1875 Barbeito Malvasia on the list.

I was going to post a newbie question about buying Madeira by the glass at a restaurant, but I found this thread. I'm in New Orleans this week, and tonight I had dinner at Emeril's. For dessert I had a glass of 1962 Barbeito Malvazia for $33. They served it in a Spiegelau port glass and it was a pretty full pour. Now I'm thinking that the 1863 Bual at $80 (or 90?) isn't such a bad deal.

-- T
(also thinking that pour could have been a mistake and it should only an ounce or two)