For tourists who desire to experience a curious mix of culture, music, history, merry-making, and a hint of wordly sophistication, flights to Funchal this September will take you just in time to take part at the the Madeira Wine Festival.

The Madeira Wine Festival this year opens on the 2nd of September and continues until the 5th. Every year, the festival pays homage to Madeira's famed wine, inviting everyone to learn about the Madeira wine through parades and exhibits, and actual harvesting. Madeira boasts of a distinct winemaking process, involving very high temperatures and exposure to oxidation, which allows the wine to last long even after opening. The festival honors the traditions involved in producing the Madeiran wine.

From September 2-5, Funchal will be the center of festivities for the Madeira Wine Festival. There will be exhibitions and astounding plant canvases, also known as vertical gardens, elaborating on the history of Madeira wine. These will be complemented by performances, mostly by brass bands and other folklore groups.

The opening event will be held in the Infoarte Space at the Regional Secretariat of Tourism and Transport. There will be an exhibition looking back on 100 years history of Madeira wine, infused with tasting sessions and seminars.

The event then moves to the Central Squares of Avenida Arriaga, where there will be musical performances. Watch out for the superb philharmonic bands and the folklore groups as they pay homage to Madeira wine with their music.

Of note are the various ethnographic displays and the series of presentations that the Festival organizers have lined up. There will also be an exhibition of Madeira wine, as well as wine-tasting.

The climax of the festival occurs on September 4, at the Estreito de Camara de Lobos. Festival-goers can participate in the grape picking at Quinta da Pinheira, and take part in the parade, as well as in the treading of the grapes as both locals and visitors celebrate with local music and traditional food.