Have some Madeira m'dear? Anyone else remember the Kingston Trio recording of that song? I know. I've probably lost everybody below the age of 60. I couldn't help remembering it when I discovered that the Davenport House has Madeira Tours every weekend.
The parties are in the late afternoon/early evening at about the time a traditional Madeira party would have been held in Savannah in the early 1800s. Candles are lit and madeira and appropriate snacks are served. Almonds and ground nuts (peanuts to the rest of the world) with the lighter Madeira and pound cake with the heavier Malmsey. It seems that in England pound cake is called Madeira cake because it went so well with Madeira. And Madeira was stored on the top floor of houses because heat improved it. Apparently this was discovered when the colonists realized that the Madeira they got was better when it arrived than when it was sent, due they felt to the sloshing around in kegs in the holds of the ships transporting it. Can't argue with the scientific method.
Definitely a fun tour and and a beautiful house. BTW, did you know that the tune for our national anthem is actually the tune of a drinking song known as the Anacreon Hymn. Our guide said it was chosen because it was a tune everyone knew. I just wish we could forget about fiscal cliffs and sequestration (I thought that was for juries) and get back to the wine and song part.
No comments:
Post a Comment