One always preferred Madeira when it was on offer - haven't seen it for years......
Chief reason was that some (many?) Messes served exceedingly bad port, but bad Madeira seemed unobtainable.
WO & Sgts Mess port in my experience (RAF) was usually better than the Officers'; but the best I tasted in a military context was in the Naval College at Greenwich - when it
was the Naval College.
