In mid-September, the Madeira Wine Festival will coincide with the annual Belmond Reid’s Palace ‘Art of Flavours’ culinary weekend.
From August 29 through September 12, Madeira will celebrate its iconic viticulture during the island’s grape harvest. The center of Funchal, the archipelago’s capital, will be decorated with casks and barrels, and visitors can enjoy folkloric parades and live music as well as tastings and exhibitions. From September 10 through 12 at the Belmond Reid’s Palace, meanwhile, the hotel will host its annual ‘Art of Flavours’ culinary weekend.
During the hotel’s three-day culinary extravaganza, the best food of provenance is celebrated. Alongside a series of exceptional Michelin Star dining experiences with legendary chefs, guests will be transported to Fajã dos Padres by cable car, a secluded paradise nestled in a small cove on the south coast of Madeira with a flourishing organic garden. There, chef Luis Pestana will share the island’s secret to cultivating sweet fruits and vegetables, as freshly caught fish arrives by boat ready for an unforgettable alfresco lunch with spectacular coastline views.
Events over the course of the weekend include the Food Party, where food and wine stalls fill the pool grounds and live cooking stations simmer with the creativity of the hotel’s Michelin-starred guest chefs; the Stars Dinner, a once-in-a-lifetime meal where eight Michelin starred chefs will join hands and minds to bring an exquisite six-course menu to life at William Restaurant, which will be paired with wines specially selected by Alberto Luz, the sommelier of Reid’s Palace; and the previously mentioned Lunch Alfesco.
The Madeira Wine Festival, meanwhile, has been taking place in Funchal city for about 40 years, and includes the European Week of Folklore with decorations, presentations and exhibitions about Wine and its harvest. Throughout the event, visitors should expext shows along with traditional music. The streets will be filled with stalls and the aroma of Madeira wine will linger through the air. On the final days of the Festival, events culminate at the Câmara de Lobos with the Feast of the Harvest.
For more information, head over to the official Reid’s Palace website.