The 2023 edition of the Big Fortified Tasting was certainly the biggest ever, with more producers packed into Church House Conference Centre than any previous year, pouring their wines for more visitors than ever before – almost 600 of them registered to attend. Those are facts we can confirm. Was it the best show ever? We’ll leave that to our exhibitors and visitors to decided, but with feedback like this, we are certainly confident that it made an impact.

We're delighted to be able to confirm the masterclass schedule for 2023, featuring wines from Real Companhia Velha, Moscatel de Setúbal and Kopke. 

Moscatel de Setúbal and Moscatel Roxo de Setúbal have been grown on this peninsula just south of Lisbon for around 3,000 years. Records indicate the wines were traded by the Phoenicians across the Mediterranean, were imported to England by Richard II in the 1300s, shipped east to India and China in the 1400-1500s and drunk in the Court of the Sun King in the 1600s – described as “the Sun in a bottle”.

How does a Master Blender make an award winning wine? Let Carlos Alves, Master Blender and Head Winemaker at Kopke take you through his thoughts as he presents a direct comparison of a single harvest wine with a blended wine of the same age, both matured in wood before being bottled specifically for this tasting.

Founded in 1756 by Royal Charter of Dom José I, King of Portugal, Real Companhia Velha is the oldest wine company in Portugal and is closely linked to the history of Port wine.

The 2023 edition of the Big Fortified Tasting (bft) on 20th April promises to be one of the biggest ever, with a host of new producers appearing for the first time and many old friends returning after a few years absence.

The b.f.t. returns to Church House, Westminster on 20th April 2023. On show will be wines from Andalusia, the Douro Valley, the island of Madeira and several other regions. We will be hosting a range of well known and established producers as well as boutique producers appearing for the first time and names returning to the show after a few years of absence . 

Born with the name of a small island in the Atlantic Ocean, in the XIV century, Madeira Wine is all about history!

There are endless stories to be told about this unique wine through almost 6 cen¬turies of existence. From the famous turn-around-trip to the Indies, during which the wine was enriched, gaining great fame and prestige in Europe; to the attention and appreciation it captured from noble personalities such as William Shakespeare, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Winston Churchill. Madeira has been tasted and enjoyed all over the five continents.

André Barbosa, head winemaker at Poças Vinhos, will lead participants through a selection of the tools and techniques available to a wine maker and blender as he chooses how to age his wines. This masterclass will show the magic of the cellar as choices are made whether to age in bottle, small casks or large balseiros. The final flight of the masterclass will highlight the skill required of the winemaker and blender as they put together the wine to be bottled.

The largest and most diverse annual trade fair dedicated solely to fortified wines is back, in person, for 2022.

Date: 31st March 2022

Time: 10:00 - 17:00 (Last entry to the show at 16:00)

Venue: Church House, Westminster