Madeira Leacock's'S Boal Fortificado

Description

John Leacock sailed to Madeira from the United Kingdom after his father’s death in 1741, and at the age of 15 became the youngest apprentice at the Madeira trading house Catanach and Murdoch, remaining there until his contract expired on 11 March 1749. During his apprenticeship he kept in constant contact with an old friend, John Patient, who at that time lived in Charlestown, South Carolina, and who suggested that they start negotiating themselves. Leacock agreed, marking the birth of the now globally renowned company. In 1925, when the wine industry was facing hard times, both Leacock’s and Blandy’s joined forces and became part of the Madeira Wine Association, now the Madeira Wine Company. Leacock’s is today one of the brand’s flagship names, with its main markets in the United States, the Scandinavian countries, and the United Kingdom. The Madeira Wine Company originally was an association of several Madeira wine producers who decided to unite their strengths to bolster their purchasing and production capabilities. The association was founded in 1913. During the years of discord, the family businesses of Blandy’s and Leacock merged, followed shortly thereafter by the dispute involving Miles and Cossart Gordon, creating the largest producer and exporter of Madeira wine. Regardless of size, maintaining the unique character and style of each individual company remained the association’s focus. By the late 1970s, the interests in the Madeira Wine Company had narrowed to just a handful of the original families, with the Blandy family holding the controlling share. In 1989, needing to strengthen the sales and marketing side of the business, the Blandy family invited the Symington family from Porto, Portugal, to partner with them. This partnership has endured to the present day, allowing the Madeira Wine Company to play a leading role in the development of Madeira wine trade. The bottling year may not correspond to the image shown. (illustrative image only)