We instead found ourselves captivated by a wine industry that was in the midst of rebirth. A younger generation of winemakers—led by the Madeiran master-blender Ricardo Frietas—was returning to the old ways: demanding better quality from grape growers, returning to traditional methods of aging, and blending newer wines with the dwindling stocks of quality vintage wines. He’d recently teamed up with American wine importer Mannie Berk to launch a line of better quality madeiras priced above the blends, but well below the prized vintages ... And while vintage wines are hard to come by and heavy on the pocket, Rare Wine Company’s Historic Series madeiras are widely distributed and the best value for the money at roughly $50 a bottle.