Calling a Madeira wine ‘No Forno’ (“In the Oven”) is, to say the least, curious. Yet that was the choice made by Ricardo Diogo, from Barbeito Madeira Wines, and chef Octávio Freitas, from the restaurant Desarma, for the launch of a new Madeiran fortified wine.
It is a medium-dry Madeira wine with a gastronomic focus, created from blends of the Verdelho, Sercial and Bastardo grape varieties. One thousand half-litre bottles were produced and bottled in October 2025. However, Ricardo Diogo admits that the intention is already to move forward with a second batch.
Interestingly, the blends will not always be identical. They will always be the result of tastings and plenty of discussion “between two friends”, as they both like to describe themselves. What is certain is that ‘No Forno’ was conceived as a gastronomic wine and will continue to be so. It was not created for desserts, cured meats, cheeses, starters or cigars. Instead, it is meant to accompany main dishes, such as the trout served at Desarma, where the acidity of the dish - which included Madeira apples - matched the acidity of the wine.
‘No Forno’ is available in the wine catalogue of Octávio Freitas Winery and also among the offerings available from Barbeito. The logo was created by designer Susana Gonzaga, a lecturer and researcher at the University of Madeira.
This wine is not an exclusive creation restricted to a limited group of interested parties. It will become a regular presence on the market, precisely following the path of the ambition shared by Octávio Freitas and Ricardo Diogo: to establish Madeiran fortified wines as gastronomic wines.
The launch took place on the eve of the Michelin Guide Portugal 2026 Gala, which was held in Funchal. Desarma served as the meeting place for a gathering of friends, where Octávio Freitas took advantage of the presence in Madeira of several chefs and teams to bring them together for a convivial evening featuring a number of creations by the Desarma team. It was an informal dinner, as gatherings among friends should be, without the rules of tasting menus or the formal protocols of gastronomic events.
