Such was the fame of this pale amber wine four centuries ago that even Shakespeare mentioned it, in four of his plays if I’m not mistaken, referring to it as “canaries”.

The most striking quotes, perhaps, are to be found in Part Two of Henry IV, when Mistress Quickly addresses Doll Tearsheet: “... But, i’ faith, you have drunk too much canaries, and that’s a marvellous searching wine, and it perfumes the blood ere one can say, What’s this? How do you now?...” and, later, in The Merry Wives of Windsor, when again it is Mistress Quickly praising the wine, this time in words to Falstaff: “Marry, this is the short and the long of it. You have brought her into such a canaries as ’tis wonderful: the best courtier of them all, when the court lay at Windsor, could never have brought her to such a canary; ...”

Indeed, the Malvasía, as it is known here, is a delight to the most discriminating of palates and whenever we have served it at home, as the perfect accompaniment to dessert, our guests have praised it just as loudly.

Because of its scrupulously controlled and limited production, this is not an inexpensive wine but don’t be put off by the price. If you buy a couple of bottles now and keep them chilled until Christmas, I can guarantee that between sip and sip of “canaries”, your mince pies will taste just heavenly!