A Revolutionary Wine to Toast to for the USA's 250th Anniversary- Madeira

The year 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the United States declaring its independence. While fireworks and parades celebrate this historic event, I, being a wine person, have been wondering what kind of wine people would have drank to celebrate and toast freedom during that moment.

Here is a quick quiz. At that time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, colonial leaders were reportedly toasting and drinking wine of...(it's kind of suggested on the title of this article though) Which one was it?

1. Champagne

2. Bordeaux red blend

3. Portuguese fortified wine

The answer is... 3. Portuguese fortified wine, Madeira.

This wine stood out as the popular choice among elites in the American colonies, including the first U.S. President, George Washington himself. This Portuguese fortified wine was a symbol of wealth and a practical choice for the long Atlantic voyages and colonial trade. Let’s explore what made Madeira so special in 1776, how it was made, its unique flavors, and how it pairs with food today.

What Madeira Wine Is and Where It Comes From

Madeira is a fortified wine produced on the Southwest Portuguese island of Madeira, in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Morocco.

Unlike many wines, Madeira undergoes a unique winemaking process involving heat and oxidation. This method was discovered by accident during the long sea voyages when barrels of wine were exposed to tropical climates.

Instead of discarding these “spoiled” barrels, winemakers embraced the change to these developed richer and deeper flavors that became highly prized. Today, Madeira is fortified by adding grape spirit, which increases its alcohol and stability, intentionally heated and oxidatively aged. This process allows Madeira to last for decades -there are even some hundres of years old Madeiras still in existing- that have not lost character.

Madeira's Rule in Colonial America

MA250, an organization explaining the role of Massachusetts in the USA’s 250-year history, writes of Madeira's tax advantages that made it the drink of choice for wealthey colonists and leaders in: The Colonial Drink That Toasted a Revolution

"Portuguese merchants exported the wine to British colonies across the globe, including North America. Because of high British duties on other European wines, Madeira became the drink of choice in the American colonies, untaxed, widely available, and suited to transatlantic shipping."

Madeira was a dynamic, lucrative product to export to the American colonies at the time. Though these merchants built a worldwide commercial empire, it is shadowed by a grim history that reflected off the realities of a network that relied on oppressive forced labor and slavery.

George Washington's correspondence shows he ordered Madeira as early as 1759 and continued ordering it throughout his lifetime, explains MountVernon.org, on his historic estate and the George Washington Presidential Library.

According to Daniel Crown, an author of How a Thirst for Portuguese Wine Fueled the American Revolution, he ordered a "dizzying volume" of it to help cope with life in an 18th-century war camp. From 1775 to the next year, Washington procured a huge number of bottles and even barrels of Madeira to be shared among his closest aides and confidants.

MA250 also explains;

"When John Hancock’s ship, the Liberty, was seized in Boston Harbor in 1768 over a shipment of smuggled Madeira, it sparked riots and protests that foreshadowed the Boston Tea Party. Madeira was also reportedly the wine used by George Washington to toast the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Its popularity among the colonial leaders, Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and Adams, made Madeira more than a beverage; it became a subtle symbol of American self-sufficiency and resistance to British economic control."

Although its popularity among them eventually lost its market share to French wines especially Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy- due to tariff changes and growing competition later, Madeira was the wine of the Signers drank at Declaration of Independence. One of the witnesses to important historic moments joining the Founding Fathers in the 18th-century Americal colonies.

I am not a historian and not debating about the history of the US here.

But as a wine person- let's dive into how Madeira is made, what kind of grapes are used, their styles, taste and food pairings.

How Madeira Is Made

The production of Madeira involves several key steps that give it its unique flavor:

• Fortification: After fermentation, grape spirit is added to stop fermentation early, preserving natural sugars and increasing alcohol content.

• Heating: The wine is heated either in special tanks (Estufa Method) or by storing barrels in warm rooms or outside in the sun (Canteiro Method). This mimics the heat from sea voyages.

• Aging: Madeira ages for years or even decades, developing complex flavors through oxidation.

• Blending: Different vintages and grape varieties are often blended to achieve balance and consistency.

  
  

Madeira is made from several grape varieties, with the most common being Sercial (SUR-see-uhl), Verdelho (vər-DEL-oh), Bual (boo-AHL), and Malvasia (MAL-vuh-SEE-uh). Each offer different sweetness levels, from dry to very sweet.

What does Madeira Look, Smell, and Taste Like? Food Pairings?

Madeira’s appearance ranges from deep gold to deep brown, depending on its age and style. Its aroma is rich and complex, often featuring notes of caramel, nuts, dried fruit, and spices. It's also available in a range of dry to sweet styles.

Blended Madeira is often inexpensive (some exceptions do exist), good for cooking or mixing in cocktails. Single-Varietal Madeira are a high quality Madeira wine, and the styles of each varietal are;

• Dry Madeira (Sercial): Crispiest style with high acidity and flavors of lemon, almonds, and minerals. Pairs well with light fish and fresh green salads.

• Medium Dry (Verdelho): Slightly richer than Sercial with balanced acidity, flavors of ginger, smoke, and nutty notes. It goes well with smoked meats and cream soup.

• Medium Sweet (Bual): Richer and sweeter with flavors of raisins, toffee, and brown sugar. Great with desserts like fruitcake and tiramisu.

• Sweet (Malvasia): Richest and sweetest, full-bodied, with flavors of caramel, figs, and chocolate. Blue cheese, nutty & rich chocolate cake pair well and I don't blame you if you pour this sweet liquid on vanilla ice cream. Perfect dessert wine that can live for decades and centuries!

  
  

Madeira’s Legacy

When I first learned about Madeira wine, the winemaking process of it blew me away. It was a collection of winemaking big 'no-no's' from heating and cooling the wine repeatedly, exposing to oxygen for a long period of time, aging the wine in barrels in heated rooms or even outside in the sun. These are completely contrary to the principles of winemaking I had learned.

Grape's high acidity (as it is hervested much earlier than the typical hervest season), fortification and high residual sugar are key factors why some Madeira can be preserved for decades and more.

Madeira’s role in American history is often overlooked, as in modern days almost every time we make a toast for some occasion it's usually Champagne or sparkling wines, not Madeira.

Still, as we learned, it was the wine with a rich heritage.

When we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence this year, why don't we raise a glass of Madeira and toast to the spirit of America as it was 250 years ago?

Cheers!

Sources

Madeira Wine: The Colonial Drink That Toasted a Revolution (2025, May 15). MA250. Retrieved June 4, 2026 https://massachusetts250.org/madeira-wine-the-colonial-drink-that-toasted-a-revolution/

Mary V. Thompson, (n.d.). Madeira, George Washington's Mount Vernon. Retreived June 4 2026 https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/madeira

Daniel Crown, (2017, December 13). How a Thirst for Portuguese Wine Fueled the American Revolution, Atlas Obscura. Retreived June 4 ,2026 https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/madeira-wine-american-revolution-taxes-george-washington