Press Kit Blandy`s

Press Kit Blandy’s
Blandy’s Madeira
Blandy’s Madeira wine company is a 200 year old family owned business. The family is unique in
being the only family of all the original founders of the Madeira wine trade to still own and actively
manage their own wine company. Throughout its long history on the island, the family has played a
leading role in the development of Madeira Wine and continues today to live on Madeira, maintaining a tradition that goes back to 1811; 2 centuries of fine wine production.
John Blandy, the founder of Blandy’s arrived in Madeira in 1808. A letter of introduction sent from
London to Messrs Newton, Gordon, Murdoch, wine merchants in Madeira – found in 2006 – read:
‘Sirs! At the desire of our particular friend, Richard Fuller Esq., Banker in this City, we beg leave to introduce Mr John Blandy who visits your Island on account of ill health, and wishes to obtain employment in a Counting House. We shall be obliged if you can promote his views, and accordingly recommend him to your attention.’ The letter is dated 23 December 1807, implying that John Blandy arrived
in the island early in 1808 rather than with British forces some months before. In 1811 he founded his
own business as a wine shipper and general trader.
John Blandy’s son, Charles Ridpath Blandy continued the business and during the disastrous oidium
plague of 1852, it was he who had the foresight to buy up a great proportion of the stocks of old
wine on the island, thus safeguarding his company’s ability to continue selling fine Madeira. Charles
Ridpath Blandy also bought “The Blandy Wine Lodges” in Funchal – also known as Adegas de São
Francisco – in 1840. The building was part of an annex to a seventeenth century Franciscan Monastery and was converted into an “Adega” (winery) where generations of the family have overseen the
aging of their wines. While the production and bottling of the wines have moved to a more modern
and up-to-date facility in Funchal, the Lodge continues to age all Blandy’s premium wines, being
visited by some 200,000 people per year and acting as an excellent showplace for many of the finest
Madeira wines.
In 1925 Blandy’s decided to join the Madeira Wine Association; a group of wine companies formed
together to maximize global exposure and minimize overheads in a world where the export market
was experiencing an all time low. Led by the Blandy family, this association managed to survive the
bleak years whilst many individual companies fell by the wayside.
In 1989, in order to further expand the global market, the Blandys approached another Anglo-Portuguese family – the Symingtons of Oporto (Port producers for 4 generations and over 100 years) – and
offered them a partnership with the purpose of strengthening the sales and marketing aspects of
the business. The Symingtons joined in 1989 and since then the company has been jointly managed
by the 2 families.
In 2008, and for the third consecutive year Blandy’s winemaker, Francisco Albuquerque, was awarded
the coveted “Fortified Wine Maker of the Year” by the International Wine Challenge, and in 2010, for
the second year running, the company has been awarded Portuguese Producer of the Year by the
International Wine & Spirit Competition. This is a major and outstanding recognition for Blandy’s
Madeira.
Today, Blandy’s Madeira is the world’s leading producer and shipper of premium quality Madeira
Wine. Its leadership in innovation, winemaking, sales and marketing has resulted in the company being rewarded with medals and trophies year after year in the world’s most prestigious tasting events,
surpassing all other competitors.
The Company
Facilities
The company has two facilities, both located in Funchal; the winery and head office are located at the
Mercês Complex and the wine lodges on Avenida Arriaga.
The Mercês Compex has been the object of significant improvements in 1998 and 2001, having a
total storage capacity of approximately 50.000hl, including 14.000hl in wood casks and vats and
7.300hl in “estufas”. The vinification area has a capacity of receiving approximately 130 tons of grapes
a day with two vinification lines allowing separation of white and red grape varieties – which are
interchangeable and attached to modern auto-vinification tanks.
The bottling line is equipped with three lines: a fully automated line with a capacity to bottle 6.000
units per hour, a manual line with a capacity bottling a 1000 units per hour and an automatic miniature bottle line.
The Mercês Complex also houses the Cooperage, where 4 coopers maintain the stock of old seasoned
oak casks using skills which have been passed down through the generations.
The Blandy’s wine lodges are located on Avenida Arriaga, in the centre of town. The premises have
a unique micro-climate due to its solar exposure, brick roofs, thick walls and wooden floor. The lofts
continue to be used as a key element in the aging of Blandy’s finest wines, by means of the traditional “canteiro system”. Guided tours are available for those interested in learning more about the
history of the family and the company, the island, and the techniques used during the vinification
and aging processes. The tour ends with a tasting of a range of Madeira wines.
Quality Assurance
The pursuit of the highest levels of quality has always been a company goal. In the latter years, the
company has implemented the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system and has
been certified with the ISO 9002 and BRC.
Quality & Environment Policy
The Company develops its activity with a long-term sustained growth perspective, setting as its main
objective the continued improvement of its products and services and implementing and maintaining policies that incorporate added value to the Company.
The Company is aware of the impact that its activity has on the environment and on the community
and has therfore adopted the role as promoter of sustainable development through its Quality Management System, incorporating the principles of good management practices in the areas of quality,
environment and safety.
Madeira Wine
Madeira wine is a fortified wine produced on the island of the same name. As a Dominacao de Origem Controlada (DOC), the wine can only be produced using specific grape varieties, has been aged
by the unique heating system and bottled on the island.
The Island Terroir
The island of Madeira was discovered in 1419 and is an archipelago composed of two inhabitated
islands – Madeira and Porto Santo – and two small uninhabitated islets, the Desertas and the Selvagens. The archipelago is situated at 35º 45º latitude north and 17º latitude west, about 1100 kms off
the coast of Portugal, to which the islands belong, and about 600 kms off the coast of Morocco. The
total area of the island is 732 kms2, of which the vineyards occupy about 400kms2. The island relief is
steep and mountainous.
Madeira has a rich and diverse terroir. As an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the vineyards
are exposed to the ocean breeze and the grapes from vineyards planted at lower levels can show saline and iodine notes. Virtually divided in two by a mountain that climbs up to 1886m in altitude, the
north side of the island is subject to the north Atlantic winds, and therefore cooler and more humid,
whilst the south side, protected by the steep mountains, is warm and sunny.
The island has a mild sub-tropical climate, with warm summer months and temperate winters. Nevertheless, higher up the mountains, temperature and humidity vary dramatically and on occasions,
the peaks can become white from snow. The climate contributes to a rich and diverse flora where
flowers, fruit and vegetables grow in abundance.
The soils are rich in mineral, iron and phosphor, which all contribute to the trademark acidity of the
wine. In fact, the acidity is one of the most remarkable assets of the wines, allowing this unique wine
to keep fresh even after having been bottled for many years.
Irrigation is provided by an ancient system of canals called “levadas” that brings water from the
mountains down to the agricultural plots..
The Vineyards
Due to the geography of the island, the vast majority of the vineyards are relatively small in size.
Vineyards can be found from sea level up to an altitude of 800 meters, perched in small terraces
known as “poios”. So as to maximize the use of land, it was very common in the past to find grapes
planted in pergola – or “latada”, as it is commonly known in Madeira – with vegetables planted at
ground level. In the latter years, many vineyards have been reconverted to modern espalier conduc-
tion, which improves the maturation of the grapes due to increased sun exposure.
The family have had long-standing relationships with the farmers and over the years, agreements
have been passed down from generation to generation.
The family currently own one vineyard, planted in 2004 at Quinta Santa Luzia in the centre of town.
The Grape Varieties
Shortly after the discovery of the island, the settlers planted grapes that were common in Portugal
with the exception of the Malvasia variety that was brought over from the island of Crete.
Madeira Wine can be made from the following grape varieties:
Tinta Negra: The only red grape variety. Versatile and productive, it accounts for approximately 90%
of the island production, being used predominately to make 3 year old wines, although not exclusively. Depending on the altitude, humidity, region and solar exposure, the grapes can deliver richer
or drier wines.
Sercial: this varietal is remarkable in its acidity and produces exceptionally dry wines. The vineyards
are located on the south of the island at Jardim da Serra, above Estreito de Câmara de Lobos at altitudes reaching 600m – 700m high and on the north, in the areas of Porto Moniz and Seixal, where it
is planted a lower altitudes, at 150 - 200 metros. It has a very late maturation, being normally the last
grape varity to be picked. Sercial wines are dry, pale, light bodied and extremely fresh.
Verdelho: Planted at altitudes up to 400m high, this varietal is located on the north of the island
in the areas of Ponta Delgada and São Vicente. The grapes have a late maturation, (normally by the
end of September) and produces gold coloured medium dry elegant wines which have a tropical and
exotic character.
Terrantez: rare and fragile, this varietal has always been used in the production of premium wines,
achieving high prices in the market. Due to its fragility, it has been replaced by more prolific varities,
and was therefore almost brought to extinction. Lately, the family has persuaded growers to bring
back production levels. This varietal produces off-dry wines.
Bual: (or Boal as it is also called), is found mostly on the south of the island, in the areas of Campanário and Calheta, located at altitudes ranging between 100m and 300m. This varietal matures
early on and produces light copper-coloured medium sweet wines that are medium bodied, round,
rich in spice and dried fruit notes.
Malmsey: grown almost exclusively on the south side of the island at lower altitudes (150m – 200m),
this varietal is the first to be harvested, having an early maturation. The grapes are sweet and produce rich full-bodied wines that are dark in colour. On the mouth, the bouquet reveals notes of spices
and honey.
See below the grape growing regions of the island:
Vineyard
Variety
0/200m
200/400m
Câmara de Lobos
TN
TN
Campanário
B and TN
B and TN
Ribeira Brava
B
Calheta
B
B and C
São Jorge
M
M and C
São Vicente
TN
TN and V
Moniz
S
Janela
V
400/800m
B
TN and V
V
Estreito
TN
Seixal
S and V
TN
Jardins da Serra
TN – Tinta Negra
10
C – Mixed Vines
S
S – Sercial
V – Verdelho
B – Bual
M – Malmsey
The Harvest
The harvest begins at the end of August and is completed by mid October. Due to the steepness of
the island geography, the harvest is labour intensive as all grapes are handpicked.
Currently, the company buys its grapes from over 800 growers and from March onwards, the company’s viticulture team does regular checks on the vineyards, providing assistance and advice to growers so as to ensure the best possible quality is achieved. During the harvest, each area has a regional
agent, who checks maturation, coordinates the picking and delivery of the grapes to the winery in
Funchal.
On arrival, all grapes are analyzed, classified, weighed and immediately processed to remove all the
stalks, then crushed to remove the seeds and skins. The stalks are treated as waste, but the seeds
and skins are collected in crates and given to the farmers for agricultural feed. Different vinification
methods are used, according to the different grape varieties.
Blandy’s Madeira Tinta Negra Wines used to produce Dry and Medium Dry wines aren’t subject to
maceration, whilst Medium Sweet and Sweet wines use maceration and auto-vinification techniques
in order to extract the maximum colour.
Blandy’s Madeira Wines made from White Grape Varieties use the pelicular maceration technique in
order to gain the maximum dry extract from the grapes. Once the “must” begins to ferment, all tanks
are very closely monitored for temperature and degrees of sugar and alcohol.
Fermentation takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks and is stopped with the addition of grape brandy when the appropriate amount of natural grape sugar has been converted into
natural alcohol.
All the wines are fortified up to 19% alcohol by volume.
Aging
The heating of the wine during the aging process is unique. It came about during the era of discovery
when barrels of wine were loaded onboard the visiting ships to provide much needed refreshments
to the sailors and to also act as ballast. On one particular occasion, a barrel of wine was returned
back untouched to a shipper after a long tour to India and after tasting the wine, the shipper noticed
that it had improved remarkably in barrel. This improvement was attributed to the fact that as the
ship had passed the equator 4 times, the wine was naturally heated by the high tropical temperatures. Shortly after, the heating of the wine in the warm lodges in Funchal became commonplace.
All wines are nowadays aged using one of two systems: “estufagem” and “canteiro”.
. Estufagem
The process known as “estufagem” was introduced as a consequence of increasing market demand.
The wines are transferred to large concrete tanks and heated up to 45ºC during a period of 3 months,
after which they are stabilized in satinwood vats for 2 years. The heating is done through water
that circulates inside coil pipes placed inside the tank walls. This process is used in the production
of wines made from Tinta Negra grape variety, some of which the company also ages in “canteiro”,
though in smaller quantities.
Canteiro
The word “canteiro” derives from the name of the traditional supporting beams where the casks
are placed. The process consists in the aging of the wines in casks for a minimum period of 4 years.
The casks are never 100% full, which allows the wine to slowly oxidize, and are stored in warm lofts
where the natural warmth of the island gently leads to their concentration. Wines produced in the
“canteiro” system are stored in casks by the variety name and vintage year.
All Blandy’s Madeira premium wines (5, 10, 15 year olds, colheitas and vintages), the vast majority being Sercial, Verdelho, Bual and Malmsey, are aged using the “canteiro” system. There is no maximum
ageing period and the company still has wine aging in barrel from as early as 1920.
. Categories
We can find two distinctive categories of Madeira Wine: Blends and Single Harvest Wines.
The authorized Madeira Wine blends are 3 year old, 5 year old, 10 year old, 15 year old, 20 year old, 30
year old, and “more than 40 year old”. These are average ages in cask and the winemaker must ensure that the blended wines created are consistent.
Single Harvest Wines are divided into 2 sub-categories: “Colheita” and “Frasqueira” or otherwise
known as Vintage Madeira.
“Colheita” is a relatively new category, introduced in 2000 by Blandy’s with the objective of releasing an exceptional wine from a single year earlier to the public. “Colheita” wines can age in cask for a
minimum of 5 years and maximum of 18 years before being bottled and released.
Vintage Madeiras must age for a minimum 20 years in cask before being bottled and released. It is
the winemaker who decides when the wine should be bottled, as each grape variety has its own aging potential. It is due to this length of time spent in oak casks that gives these wines their unique
aromas and intense complexity for which they are renown.
Every year, in November, Blandy’s oenologists taste all wines and decide which will be used to
makeup blends (of the same varietal) and which will keep on aging and released later as colheitas or
vintage madeiras.
Common Flavours In Madeira Wines
Oxidation notes
Wood Influence
Resinous > pinewood, eucalyptus
Phenols > Vanilla, Turpentine
Sugars
Bread, chocolate, coffee, honey, smoke
Microbian
Yeast, Mushroom, Lactic
Dry Fruits
Orange, prune, raisin, nut, almond
Spices
Pepper, cinnamon, clove
Food Pairing
Enjoying Madeira
3YearOldWines
Dry M.Dry M.Rich Rich
Aperitif
Digestive
x
Consomé
x
Soups & Creams
Starters
with Mayonnaise
Flambées
Feathered Game
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Tinned Fish
x
Starters of Indian
Cuisine
x
x
x
x
Sushi
Tropical Fresh Fruits
Dried Fruits
Butter Biscuits
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Petit Fours
x
x
Dried Fruit Cakes
x
x
x
x
Pipe
22
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Cigarillos
x
x
Soft Cheeses
Cigars
x
x
x
Aromatic Tobacco
x
x
x
x
Spicy Cheeses
x
x
Soft Egg Cream Cakes
Dry Cheeses
x
x
x
Chocolate Mousse
x
x
Pralinés
Honey Cake
x
x
x
Cream Cakes
x
x
x
x
At Tea Time
x
x
Milk Chocolate
Dark Chocolate
Sercial Verdelho Bual Malvasia
x
Fish Mousses
Pâtes & Foie Gras
x
5YearOldWines
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
10&15YearOldWines
Vintages
Sercial Verdelho Terrantez Bual Malvasia
x
Soleras&Young Old VeryOld
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
23
Contacts & Addresses
Ricardo Tavares
Sales Director
Phone: +351 291 740 100
Fax: +351 291 740 111
E-mail: rt@madeirawinecompany.com
Head Office
Francisco Albuquerque
Oenologist & Wine Director
Phone: +351 291 740 100
Fax: +351 291 740 101
E-mail: fma@madeirawinecompany.com
Wine Lodges
Chris Blandy
Director
Phone: +351 291 200 600
Fax: +351 291 222 318
E-mail: chris.blandy@blandy.com
Symington Family Estates
Jacques Faro da Silva
Managing Director
Phone: +351 291 740 100
Fax: +351 291 740 101
E-mail: jfs@madeirawinecompany.com
Madeira Wine Company, S.A.
Rua dos Ferreiros, 191
9000 – 082 FUNCHAL
E-mail: secmerces@madeirawinecompany.com
The Old Blandy Wine Lodge
Avenida Arriaga, 28
9000-064 FUNCHAL
E-mail: pubrel@madeirawinecompany.com
Travessa Barão de Forrester,
Apartado 26
4401 – 997 Vila Nova de Gaia
Phone: +351 22 377 6300
Fax: +351 22 377 6301