Blandy's house dates back to 1811 and is still in the hands of the original family to this day. In 1925, Blandy’s joined the Madeira Wine Association with the aim of raising its profile in the world market more efficiently. Sales figures doubled after a partnership with the Symington Family in Oporto. Blandy's belongs to the only family where the company has remained in original family hands. The Blandy family continues to play a leading role in Madeira's quality development.
The Blandy's brand owes its name to the Englishman John Blandy, who established himself as a trader in Madeira wines on the island in 1810. His son, Charles Ridpath Blandy, succeeded his father in the company. In 1925 the Blandy family joined the Madeira Wine Association, a group of independent producers. The aim was to trade jointly and strengthen the market position. Day-to-day management came into the hands of the Blandy family. In order to gain more international fame, it was decided in 1989 to enter into a new partnership with the respected Symington family. For generations, the Symington family has been one of the best known and most successful port producers. The company name changed to the Madeira Wine Company.
Blandy's is known today as a leader in innovation and quality improvement. About 200,000 people visit the wine cellars every year. In 1991 all bottles of Madeira got a completely new livery. More modern labeling also stimulated other producers to innovate.
In 2000, Blandy's introduced a new style of Madeira from a single harvest year, Blandy's Malmsey 1994 Harvest. This type of Madeira can best be translated as a Late Bottled Vintage style. With this, Blandy broke with the tradition of only marketing very old, exclusive year of Madeira. This new type of Madeira is now very successful. Another revolutionary product is Blandy's Alvada, which is composed of two grape varieties: Bual and Malmsey. Blandy's Madeira rivals the most prestigious wines in the world.
It leaves many competitors behind every year. For three consecutive years, winemaker Francisco Albuquerque received the honorary title of “Fortified Winemaker of the Year at the London International Wine Challenge.” At the 2009 International Wine & Spirit Competition, Blandy's was named, “Best Portuguese Wine Producer.” This year (2011) Blandy's celebrates its 200th anniversary as an independently operating Madeira house.
