Verdelho
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2060
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Consomme and rich broths, toasted nuts, aged sheep's milk cheeses
✨ Technical Specifications
Bristol's maritime history is deeply intertwined with the fortified wine trade, and Averys of Bristol stands as a monumental guardian of this legacy. For centuries, ships arriving at the Bristol docks carried casks of fortified wine from the Atlantic island of Madeira. Averys famously selected outstanding casks of Verdelho directly from top island producers, shipping them to their historic Culver Street cellars for maturation and bottling under their own label. Verdelho occupies a unique stylistic niche in Madeira—traditionally medium-dry, balancing a vibrant, electric acidity with a rich, textured palate. The wine undergoes traditional aging, coaxing out complex notes of dried stone fruits, orange peel, toasted nuts, and a signature smoky, saline undertone derived from the island's volcanic soils. This historic bottling represents a classic era of the English wine merchant as an active partner in the maturation of fine Madeira.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in Bristol in 1793, Averys is one of the United Kingdom's oldest and most historic independent wine merchants and négociant houses. Throughout the twentieth century, under the visionary leadership of Ronald Avery and subsequently his son John Avery MW, the firm cemented an international reputation as an adventurous pioneer. Averys was among the very first British merchants to champion Bordeaux's Right Bank estates—introducing Château Pétrus to the UK market—and broke early ground importing nascent New World benchmarks from California and Australia. Operating as a négociant selector, Averys partners closely with family-owned domaines across classic European appellations including Champagne, Burgundy, the Loire, Pfalz, and Rioja. Across its diverse portfolio, the merchant prioritizes expressive varietal clarity, classic regional typicity, and balanced viticulture. Benchmark own-label releases like their Special Cuvée Brut Champagne, Fine White Burgundy, and Fine Riesling showcase Averys' enduring cellar heritage and palate for authentic terroir-driven wines.
🍇 Grapes
Verdelho
🍷 ABV
18-20