Sarah Ahmed – The Wine Detective

The Specialist Importers Trade Tasting usually provides me with a chance to catch up with Ricardo Diogo V. Freitas, third generation winemaker at Barbeito. He’s a human dynamo and my visit in 2007 (reported here) swiftly dispelled any the notion that Madeira is all pipe and slippers.

Well, you may have guessed that Ricardo didn’t make it over this year. Fortunately, he and his family survived Madeira’s deadly deluge last Saturday (the death toll has now risen to over 40), though he told his importer that the devastation is unbelievable.  Barbeito’s shop (Diogos) in Funchal has “gone;” I was relieved to hear that the new winery, completed only last year, is unscathed.

The main purpose of this post is to alert you about a way to help relief efforts in Madeira.  Find out more here on the Catavino site, which gives you an idea of the scale of destruction.