Madeira Wine Tasting at Mabry-Hazen House
Co-hosted with Zero/Zero Wine Bar
Wednesday, November 5, 2025, from 6:00PM to 8:00PM
$40 per person
Please note: This event is limited to attendees aged 21+. ID will be checked at the door.
Gather at Mabry-Hazen House for a tasting of fine Madeira wines curated by Zero/Zero Knox. The United States developed a close association with Madeira wine in the 18th century, as it was a favorite drink of many “Founding Fathers” and Americans imbibed nearly a quarter of the world’s production. The fortified wine, produced on a Portuguese island in the eastern Atlantic, remained popular well into the time of the historic house museum, and the home’s Victorian residents even enjoyed a glass or two. Yet, this once-patriotic wine has faded in popularity in our modern era.
Rediscover the historic roots of “America’s Wine” with a guided tasting of fine Madeira wines and hear more about the history of Madeira and its connections to Mabry-Hazen House from Patrick Hollis, Executive Director of the house museum and local public historian. Original family objects associated with wine culture will be displayed, and guests will lounge inside the same parlors where glasses were poured and sipped in the house’s 167-year history.
More information:
Madeira is a Portuguese fortified wine that can only be produced on the volcanic island of the same name, located about 360 miles west of Morocco. The island was first settled by Europeans around 1419, and its wine became popular by the 17th century, remaining so for over 200 years. The United States lovingly embraced Madeira. George Washington enjoyed several glasses with dinner each evening, the Continental Congress celebrated the signing of the Declaration of Independence with the drink, and Thomas Jefferson ordered the equivalent of 3,500 bottles during his first three years in the White House. During the Civil War, Madeira was among the most favorite wines for Americans to collect, and influential, wealthy families across the nation had Madeira wine collections. By the late 1800s, the Madeira trade had declined significantly due to the phylloxera grapevine pest destroying large swaths of the vineyards.