Adegas de São Francisco (Wine Lodge & Museum)

A tourist to Madeira should not go past this place that absolutely deserves a visit. The ‘Madeira Wine Company’ (‘The Old Blandy Wine Lodges’), as it is also called, is located within a complex that belonged once to the São Francisco Convent. When entering the premises, you walk on one of Funchal’s oldest streets and you can still see the place, where a chapel used to be.

Today the whole complex is converted into a museum. The best is to start your visit with the Wine Tasting Room, where rural paintings from Max Römer relating to viticulture decorate the walls and where you can taste the renowned Madeira wine stocks of ‘Sercial’, ‘Verdelho’, ‘Bual’ and ‘Malvasia’.

Also not to be missed is a tour of the Wine Cellar, where many vintage wines, some date as far back as the 18^th century, and the wine maturing cellars with casks made of oak-tree and mahogany can be visited.

The museum itself comprises three rooms, where you will find varied documentation, like manuscripts concerning the administration of wine exportation houses, letters from famous personalities, a wine press from the 17^th century and sealing irons to engrave crates and casks.

Madeira Wine Company was created in the year 1913, bringing together several companies and independent producers.