Blandy's - 10 Year Old Verdelho Medium Dry Madeira

Madeira Wine was discovered by pure accident. The heating of the wine during the aging process is unique and its origins came about during the era of discoveries in the 15th and 16th centuries when the sailing ships passed by the island to pick up fresh water and supplies, in the form of wine in barrels which were loaded onboard the visiting ships both to provide much needed refreshments to the sailors, and also act as ballast. Legend has it that on one particular round trip to India, the barrels of wine were returned to the producer on the island who discovered that the wine had improved considerably, which was attributed to the heating of the wine by the high tropical temperatures as the ship had crossed the equator 4 times. For many years, the practice of shipping wines on a round trip became normal, and gave birth to the vinho da roda (round trip wines).