The Madeira Wine

By the reign of the English King, Charles II, demand for Madeira was firmly established along the North American seaboard. Indeed the wine played such an important part in the American way of life that it was used to toast the Declaration of Independence (July 4th 1776) and the Inauguration of George Washington (first President of the United States -1789) who, it was said, "drank a pint of Madeira at dinner daily." The origins of the Madeira Wine Company started in 1913 when two companies, Welsh & Cunha and Henriques & Camara, joined forces to form the Madeira Wine Association Lda. Through the lean years that followed more companies joined to ensure their survival by reducing costs and pooling production whilst maintaining commercial independence. Blandy's and Leacock's amalgamated their interests and joined the association in 1925. The chairman of this newly enlarged enterprise was John Ernest Blandy, supported by Thomas L. Mullins as Managing Director who had previously looked after the Blandy's wine company. Other companies (listed below) all joined the association in the years that followed. The spirit of the union, ably organised by Tom Mullins, was to maintain the individuality of the different companies together with their respective styles of wines while at the same time reducing overheads.