Are you visiting Madeira and Funchal? Would you like to learn more about Portuguese wines in general, including Madeira? Then you must visit Paixão do Vinho!
Filipe Santos runs a wine distribution on Madeira. He is also the man behind the table wines called Primeira Paixão and Torcaz; two reds, one white and a rosé. And now Filipe has added another string to his bow – a wine bar / wine shop in the city center of Funchal.
It’s not just a wine bar or shop for visitors to the island. Au contraire, this is a great place for anyone interested in fine wine, a great wine discussion with a passionate person, or just to find out what pairs with what. Filipe spends a lot of time in the wine bar which is called Paixão do Vinho. You’ll find it on Avenida do Infante No 22, just on the opposite side of the official residence of the President – the Quinta Vigia estate. From the city center you walk the Avenida Arriaga until the roundabout where the same direction of the street changes name to Avenida do Infante. Just walk it a few minutes and on the right side you’ll spot the wine bar.
Filipe and his staff offers wines by the glass and you can chose between good quality entry levels to the premium stuff. Also, and this is nice, you can buy any bottle from the wine shop and should you wish to sit down , drink it at Paixão do Vinho, a fair cork fee is added. Furthermore, smaller thought through dishes are offered at the wine bar, to complement the wines.
For wine geeks like myself, it’s easy to fall in love with the assortment. There are several difficult-to-find wines on the shelves. Like the beautiful 2012 Dona Paulette from Quinta de Lemos in Dão, or the rare 2014 Dona Fátima which is made on the Jampal grape from the Lisbon region. On one of my visits, Filipe poured me a blind one, a wine he adored himself, and asked me what it was. I love tasting wines like this, when you’re drinking the wine and not the label. In the glass? The ever so pure and refreshing 2015 Vale dos Ares from MQ Vinhos in Monção and Melgaço, in the northernmost part of Vinho Verde.
Filipe’s own range of wines. The Verdelho comes from a vineyard in Ponta do Pargo on the west coast, the Merlot from Canical on the east side of the island.
Of course you just have to try one of his own wines as well. I’m holding the Verdelho highly. It’s gentle tropical fruit, the refreshing acidity and fine structure shows there is a future for Madeira table wines. If you’re more into reds, give the Merlot a shot. Especially if you’re a friend of more classic expressions of red wines like Bordeaux or the Loire Valley, this one is a good pour.
A good wine bar quickly identifies the wishes of its guests, tells the stories which makes wine more than just wine, and pampers your visit. Filipe Santos does all that and with his knowledge and hospitality, it’s easy to become a regular. Visitor to the island or a Madeirense doesn’t matter – Paixão do Vinho is a great complement to the wine scene in Funchal.
Contact & address
Paixão do Vinho, Avenida do Infante 22, Funchal 9000-015. Mail: info at paixaodovinho dot com
Top photo: Filipe Santos at the entrance of Paixão do Vinho
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