Barbeito Madeira Barbeito Madeira (Vinhos Barbeito) is one of only four families that have survived two centuries of Madeira wine production and export. While the other three have histories dating back to the 19th century, Barbeito is considered the most daring and innovative producer of fortified wines from this volcanic island. British wine critic Jancis Robinson called Barbeito's wine "the Lafite of Madeira". Three generations on a volcanic island Mario Barbeito, an accountant by training, founded the company in 1946 – during a crisis period for the island caused by World War II, when production and sales had practically come to a standstill. While other companies were leaving the industry, Mario traveled around the entire island, buying up stocks of old vintages from local families. He believed their value would increase as they matured – especially as production of young vintages had drastically declined. In 1970, the company was taken over by his daughter Manuela, who began selling these historic vintages on the London wine exchange. Thanks to her efforts, Barbeito wines from the 18th and 19th centuries began appearing regularly at auctions, building the brand's lasting reputation among collectors. Since the mid-1990s, the company has been managed by her son Ricardo Freitas, who combines respect for tradition with modern ideas. One of his projects was to restore Madeira's image as a wine that pairs excellently with food – not just as a dessert wine or aperitif. Madeira – wine shaped by volcano and ocean Barbeito's headquarters is located on a hillside above Câmara de Lobos. Madeira as a category of fortified wines is unique – the island's warm, oceanic climate and volcanic soils give the wines intensity and minerality, and the production process itself, based on controlled heating of the wine (estufagem) or natural aging in heat (canteiro), creates complex, long-lived wines.