Essência do Vinho, the wine fair that also runs in Porto and Lisbon, comes to Funchal from Thursday 26 to Saturday 28 November 2026, and for the first time it is in the Sala Funchal at the Pestana Casino Park. Producers and winemakers from Madeira and the mainland pour across the three days, with guided tastings, show-cooking and music. A €15 ticket includes your tasting glass. It opens at 18:00 on the Thursday, closes at 22:00 on the Saturday, and the tasting is for over-18s only.
- Cost€15 on Last2Ticket, with the tasting glass included. Diário de Notícias subscribers get a lower price on up to four tickets, with a code sent by text and email.
- Best timeAny of the three days: the producers pour on all of them. Eat something first, because this is a room full of open bottles.
- Getting thereOn foot: the hotel is on Rua Imperatriz D. Amélia, about five minutes’ walk from the centre. After an evening of tasting, leave the car at home.
- With childrenNo. The tasting is for over-18s only, and the whole fair is built around it.
Essência do Vinho Madeira 2026, day by day
| Day | Time | What | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From 18:00 | Opening: producers’ tables and tastings | Sala Funchal, Pestana Casino Park | €15 | |
| Hours to come | Producers’ tables, guided tastings, show-cooking and music | Sala Funchal, Pestana Casino Park | €15 | |
| Until 22:00 | Last day | Sala Funchal, Pestana Casino Park | €15 |
The daily hours and the programme of guided tastings are not out yet; the organisers list the programme as coming soon.
Stay in Funchal and walk back from the tasting
What people ask us about Essência do Vinho Madeira
When is Essência do Vinho Madeira 2026?
From Thursday 26 to Saturday 28 November 2026, in the Sala Funchal at the Pestana Casino Park in Funchal. It opens at 18:00 on Thursday 26 and closes at 22:00 on Saturday 28.
Will there be Madeira wine?
Yes. The fair brings together producers and winemakers from Madeira and from the rest of Portugal, so you can taste the island’s wines beside the mainland’s in one evening.
Is it open to the public or only to the wine trade?
Open to the public: anyone with a ticket can go round the producers’ tables, the tastings and the show-cooking, and the tasting itself is for over-18s.
How big is it?
Small enough for one evening. The organisers count more than 3,000 visitors at the Funchal edition, and in 2024 it had 37 producers, against about 500 at the Porto fair.
Sources
Dates from the Essência do Vinho Madeira 2026 ticket page and the organisers’ website. Checked .
