Wine tasting: Madeira, sherry and port - a very British preoccupation

The National Archives is delighted to present a series of wine tastings, themed around some of its immense catalogue of documentation relating to wine and trade. Presented by Pippa Hayward, a wine educator and wine travel guide, each tasting will start with an introductory talk and the opportunity to see facsimiles of related historical documents, followed by a tutored tasting of six wines.

No other nation has had a bigger influence on the creation and distribution of fortified wines than Britain - largely as a consequence of its capacity as a trading nation. At different points in British history we have favoured Sack (sherry) over port, created Marsala, and held controlling interests in most of the bodegas of madeira, port and sherry. The tasting will include dry sherries, madeiras and ports.