Madeira wine struggled to sail the seas for centuries, and fame was a long time coming, until the 1650's, when Catherine of Bragança began searching desperately for the right royal mate.

Her dowry was double the amount princesses ever had, which not only included 800,000 pounds of gold and silver and an exclusive concession that British merchants could trade with Brazil - she offered Bombay, Tangiers - and, heaven forbid, was even ready to offer Madeira Island to realize wedlock! To Catherine's dismay, she had no luck with Louis XIV, but impoverished Charles II of England perked up his royal ears!