Madeira Wine Tours & Tastings
Madeira is one of the world’s great fortified wines – nutty, tangy, almost indestructible, from bone-dry Sercial to lush Malmsey – tasted in the historic lodges of Funchal, alongside the island’s espetada, black scabbardfish and the sugarcane rum poncha. Compare the top-rated Madeira wine and food experiences below, then read our notes.
Top-rated Madeira wine tours
Compare the best Madeira wine tours and tastings
The top Madeira wine experiences by rating and number of reviews, from a lodge tasting in Funchal to a full day in the vineyards.
| Experience | Length | Rating (reviews) | Best for | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H.M. Borges Winery Tour with Wine Tasting | 1 hour | 4.7 (447) | A lodge in Funchal | Check availability |
| Full-Day Madeira Wine Tour with Lunch | 8 hours | 4.9 (179) | The vineyards | Check availability |
| Madeira Wine Tasting with a Sommelier | 1.5 hours | 4.7 (128) | Learning the styles | Check availability |
| Fado Show with Madeira Wine | 50 minutes | 4.7 (573) | An evening | Check availability |
| Vineyard Tour with Wine Tasting and Skywalk | 4 hours | 4.3 (57) | Views and vines | Check availability |
Our pick: the H.M. Borges Winery Tour with Wine Tasting, rated 4.7 from 447 reviews on GetYourGuide.
Ratings and review counts as shown on GetYourGuide in October 2026. Check the listing for live prices and availability.
Formats: wine lodge tours and tastings in Funchal (Blandy’s and the others); food-and-wine walking tours of the old town and the Mercado dos Lavradores; poncha and tavern crawls; day trips to vineyards and the levada country.
What you taste: Madeira across its four grapes – dry Sercial, off-dry Verdelho, rich Bual and sweet Malmsey – plus the island’s food: espetada, bolo do caco, black scabbardfish with banana, and poncha.
Price: roughly 20 to 40 dollars for a lodge tour and tasting; 45 to 70 for a food-and-wine walking tour.
Already in Madeira? Our guide to what to eat in Madeira and where names the places locals go, what to order and where to taste the local wine.
More in Madeira: Funchal food and wine tours · Madeira wine tours and lodges
The wine that survives anything
Madeira is made almost immortal by estufagem, a deliberate heating and long ageing that once happened by accident in the holds of ships crossing the tropics – which is why an open bottle keeps for months and old vintages still drink beautifully. Its four noble grapes run a scale from dry to sweet: Sercial (bone dry), Verdelho (off-dry), Bual (rich) and Malmsey, or Malvasia (lusciously sweet). The place to learn them is a lodge tour in Funchal, above all the historic Blandy’s Wine Lodge, where you can taste century-old vintages.
The food and the poncha
Pair the wine with the island’s cooking on a walking tour that takes in the Mercado dos Lavradores, Funchal’s market of tropical fruit, flowers and fish. The classics are espetada, beef skewered on a bay-laurel stick and grilled; black scabbardfish (espada) served with fried banana; and bolo do caco, the garlic-buttered flatbread. The island’s drink is poncha, sugarcane rum with honey and lemon, mixed with a wooden caralhinho in the old taverns.
How to do it
Funchal is compact, so lodge tastings and food-and-wine tours are all walkable in the old town; day trips add vineyard visits and the dramatic levada and mountain scenery. Madeira is a year-round destination with a mild climate; the wine harvest and its Funchal festival fall in late August and September. Book the walking tours ahead in high season.
How we choose
We list only experiences with a strong rating over a meaningful number of reviews and free cancellation where available, and we favour small-group and family-run hosts. FindEatLocal earns a commission when you book through GetYourGuide or Viator links on this page; it doesn’t change the price you pay. More about how we choose.
What makes Madeira different
Centuries ago, barrels shipped through the tropics came back tasting better, so producers now recreate the heat on purpose: either in heated tanks (estufagem) or by ageing the best wines slowly in warm lofts (canteiro). The result is a wine with vivid acidity and flavours of nuts, caramel and citrus peel. The four noble grapes name the styles from dry to sweet; Tinta Negra is the island’s most planted grape. Look for age statements (5, 10, 15 years) or rare single-vintage Frasqueira.
Where to taste it
In Funchal, historic lodges such as Blandy’s Wine Lodge and H.M. Borges offer guided tours and tastings in the old town. Day tours head to Câmara de Lobos and the cliffside vineyards around Estreito and the north coast at São Vicente. Eat espetada (beef skewers), bolo do caco garlic bread and black scabbardfish, and try a poncha. Heading to the mainland too? See Porto food tours.
Our pick: the From Funchal: Full-Day Madeira Wine Tour with Lunch starts at Blandy’s Wine Lodge, lunches in São Vicente and finishes at the Barbeito winery near Câmara de Lobos.
Plan the whole trip: the best food and wine experiences in Portugal.
FAQ about Madeira Wine Tours & Tastings
Frequently asked questions
What kind of wine is Madeira?
A fortified wine, heated and long-aged so it lasts almost indefinitely, ranging from the bone-dry Sercial to the sweet Malmsey. Tasted in the Funchal lodges.
Which Madeira lodge should I visit?
Blandy’s Wine Lodge in Funchal is the historic one, with tours and tastings including very old vintages; others in town offer good-value tastings too.
What is poncha?
Madeira’s traditional drink: sugarcane rum (aguardente) mixed with honey and lemon, stirred with a wooden tool called a caralhinho in the island’s taverns.
What is Madeira wine?
A fortified wine from Madeira that is heated and aged in contact with air, giving it vivid acidity and flavours of nuts and caramel; it keeps for months after opening.
What is the difference between Sercial and Malmsey?
Sercial is the driest style and Malmsey the sweetest; Verdelho and Bual sit in between.
Can you visit Madeira wine lodges in Funchal?
Yes. Several historic lodges in Funchal's old town run guided tours with tastings, and full-day tours add vineyards and lunch.