Madeira Wine Festival is held in September during the grape harvest, recalling the population’s old customs since the island was first settled.

Câmara de Lobos is the capital of Madeira Wine festival, with events such as live grape harvest, picker's parade, grapes treading and the whole ritual of a typical Madeira popular festivity. In Funchal downtown there are also some folk shows related to traditional wine-making.

Madeira Wine Festival Programme

4th to 30th September
Exhibition: Madeira Wine - Tradition, Personalities and Celebration.
At InfoArt galery at Madeira Tourism Board building - Funchal

2nd to 6th September
From 9 pm to 11 pm - V European Folk Dancing Week - with group's performances from Spain, Norway, Venezuela, Australia, Russia, United Kingdom, mainland Portugal and the Folk Dancing and Ethnographic Group of Boa Nova and Group of Castanholas da Casa do Povo da Tabúa.
At Municipal Garden Auditorium - Funchal

4th to 7th September
From 6:30 pm to 11 pm - Philharmonic Bands and Traditional Folk Dancing Groups performances
Ethnographic and painting exhibitions combined with a diversity of lively entertainment:

• “Open Air Wine Cellar” - Panel in front of the Cathedral
• “Dancing with Wine” - Panel in front of João Gonçalves Zarco statue
• “Max Romer and Madeira Wine" - Panel in front of Tourism Board building
• “Fine Grape Varieties, Wine and Water”- North garden of S. Lourenço Palace
• “Art with Madeira Wine”- Panel in front of Funchal Municipal Theatre
• “Mister Wine”- Panel in front of Loja do Cidadão

At Avenida da Arriaga - Funchal

Madeira Wine exhibition and wine tasting.
At Largo da Restauração

6th September
9 am - Live Wine Harvest
Grape harvest at Quinta da Pinheira, followed by an ethnographic parade with the following route: Rua António Vitorino Castro Jorge, Rua da Igreja, Largo do Patim, Alameda do Mercado and Praça do Mercado, where the stepping of the grapes will take place with musical entertainment and regional gastronomy.
At Estreito de Câmara de Lobos

7th September
8pm - 1st Madeira Wine Cocktail Festival 2008 - by Madeira Barmen Association
At Avenida Arriaga

Source: Madeira Tourism Board - September Newsletter