Madeira Leacock's Sercial (Rótulo Branco) Fortificado

Description

John Leacock sailed to Madeira from the United Kingdom after his father’s death in 1741, and at 15 became the youngest apprentice at the Madeira trading firm Catanach and Murdoch, remaining there until his contract expired on 11 March 1749. During his apprenticeship he was in constant contact with an old friend, John Patient, who at that time lived in Charlestown, South Carolina, and suggested that they start trading themselves. Leacock agreed, marking the birth of the now world‑famous company. In 1925, the wine industry was going through hard times, so both Leacock’s and Blandy’s joined forces and joined the Madeira Wine Association, now the Madeira Wine Company. Leacock’s is today one of the company’s flagship brands, with main markets in the United States, the Scandinavian countries, and the United Kingdom. The Madeira Wine Company was originally an association of several Madeira wine producers who decided to unite to strengthen their buying and production capacities. This association was founded in 1913. During the years of discord, the old family businesses of Blandy’s and Leacock joined, followed immediately after by Miles and Cossart Gordon, creating the largest producer and exporter of Madeira wine. Regardless of size, maintaining the unique characteristics and style of each individual company was at the heart of the association. By the late 1970s, the interests in the Madeira Wine Company, as it had become known, had been reduced to just a handful of the original families, with the Blandy family holding the controlling share. In 1989, the Blandy family, needing to reinforce the sales and marketing side of the business, invited the Symington family from Porto, Portugal, to join them in partnership. This partnership has continued to this day, allowing the Madeira Wine Company to play a leading role in the development of the Madeira wine trade. The bottling year may not match the image presented. (illustrative image only)