Many legends surround the grape variety Verdelho and its origins. It has been grown on the island of Madeira for centuries and may possibly have originated there. Was it carried from Madeira to Anjou in the Loire? No one knows, but it is grown in Anjou, where it has been mistakenly considered a clone of Chenin Blanc. It produces full-bodied dry white wines of great freshness and a herbal quality. And, of course, the off-dry fortified eponymous wine of Madeira.
