Preservationists at the Liberty Hall Museum in Union, New Jersey recently unearthed one of the oldest collections of colonial-era Madeira and the largest collection of wine from that period in the United States. It had been hidden behind a Prohibition-era wall in a wine cellar.
The museum, located on the campus of Kean University, a state college of New Jersey, found the bottles as part of a six-month restoration project. Among the collection were three crates with 12 bottles of wine in each and 42 demijohns—vases used to hold and transport alcohol— including a Madeira that dates back to 1796, after the American Revolution. Founding fathers such as Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock and Benjamin Franklin were also reportedly fans of the premium wine.
“It had the unique quality of being almost immortal,” said Berk, meaning that whereas most wine would have turned to vinegar over the centuries, Madeira—while it may have declined slightly in quality—is still drinkable two centuries later. One reason has to do with the volcanic soil on the island. Another is that importers deliberately sailed the ships with the barrels through the tropics to condition the wine. “Subjecting it to heat that way was part of the process that gave the wine such great longevity,” said Berk.
Typically, other Madeiras from the 18th century are worth anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 per bottle, he added, but the rarity of these based on their origin most likely puts them in the higher price range.