Barbeito

On the volcanic island of Madeira stands the Portuguese winery Vinhos Barbeito, passionately engaged in the production of typical Madeiras since 1946. Founder of the winery was Mario Barbeito de Vasconcelos, who at the time faced competition from more than 30 wineries on the island dedicated to exporting Madeira. Gradually Mario acquired customers all over the world and established close relationships, some of which are still active today. In 1985, after Mario's death, his daughter Manuela de Vasconcelos took over the reins of the estate, although she had been involved in the family business since 1976, maintaining and expanding business relationships around the world. In 1991, with the entry of Ricardo Vasconcelos Freitas, the family stopped exporting bulk wine, which had begun in the 1970s and was damaging the winery's reputation for quality. It was a return to the roots that led Vinhos Barbeito to base production on a single objective: to make high-quality wines with a unique and recognisable style.
The Vinhos Barbeito estate exclusively processes the local varieties Tinta Negra, Sercial, Boal, Malvasia and Verdelho. Important is the harvesting of the grapes, which is done slightly in advance in order to preserve more acidity, resulting in fresher wines. The long ageing processes take place in 3 different rooms, each characterised by different climatic conditions and exposure and therefore suitable for storing a specific type of Madeira. In these warehouses the wines are matured according to the Canteiro method, which consists of storing the liquid for at least 4 years in oak barrels in warm, oxidative environments, exposed to seasonal climatic changes. Furthermore, one of the winery's fundamentals is not to add caramel to the wines, often used to make Madeira darker and sweeter but which for Ricardo Freitas tends to mask the more refined expression.
There are numerous types and styles of Madeira embraced by the Vinhos Barbeito winery, all characterised by exceptional elegance and authenticity. The range includes 3, 5 and 10 Years Old, Single Harvest, Single Cask, Frasqueiras, Signature Wines and Ribeiro Real, plus a few non-Madeira wines and special projects. Today Barbeito is undoubtedly one of the benchmarks for quality Madeiras.