Image of Tawny, Tinta and Vintage ports via Ficklin Vineyards' website.

Madera County’s Ficklin Vineyards received a request from the U.S. Embassy in London to serve its award-winning port wine at future embassy dinners.

Established in 1946, Ficklin Vineyards is America’s oldest port winery, and the winery’s president, Peter Ficklin, said he was happy that his wine was garnering interest in London.

“The UK has a long and valued history in the development and traditions in port wine,” Ficklin said. “We consider this is a special acknowledgement of our premium quality.”

Gerry Kaufman of the London Embassy’s cultural division reached out to Ficklin Vineyards to express desire to serve their wines at embassy dinners. The embassy also offered to help meet shipping regulations along with the USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service, the California Wine Institute, and the Culinary Diplomacy Project.

The port wines shipped to the embassy were Ficklin Vineyards Old Vine Tina and Aged 10 Years Tawny Port.

In October, Ficklin will meet with UK distributors visiting the U.S. through the California Wine Institute to discuss their interest in carrying the Ficklin Vineyards brand.

“We’re aware Ficklin Vineyards Ports are well known and it’s exciting to see that awareness continue to grow,” Ficklin said. “We’ll be meeting to determine whether it may be time to begin exporting.”