A mild climate, Madeiran embroidery, and Madeira wine – these are the three superstars of the small Portuguese island that are so popular with vacationers. Madeira wine is a protected designation for the fine wine made from grapes grown in Madeira. This official designation, like that of port, Parmesan, and champagne, serves to prevent counterfeiting.
As with port wine, fermentation in Madeira is stopped prematurely by adding alcohol. Originally, sugar cane spirit was the preferred alcohol, but today producers often use brandy.
Madeira is a fortified wine with an alcohol content of 17-22%, made entirely from white grapes. This Portuguese temptation has a beautiful story to tell, from its discovery to its production process.
How is Madeira made?
The addition of sugar cane spirit originated from the desire to protect the wine. Since Madeira was particularly popular with the English, the wine had to be shipped from Portugal to England and from there on to America and other parts of Great Britain.
To stabilize the drink, the sailors added alcohol. Since the wine wasn't protected from the sun on the ship, it heated up and turned a golden brown. And to their astonishment, upon arrival, they discovered that the wine tasted even better after the long journey.
The spice lies in the heat
So the procedure became established, and the wine was deliberately shipped around the world by ship to help it achieve its wonderful flavor. Eventually, however, it was realized that the key to success lay not in the shipping, but in storage and heating.
So, Madeira wine was stored in barrels in the attics of wineries to be exposed to the necessary heating by the sun.
This technique is called the Canteiro method . Today, it is only used for the finest Madeira wines. The others are content with the much more economical method, the so-called Estufagem , in which Madeira is Furnace chambers in which the heat of 40 to 75 °C is artificially generated.
What exactly happens with this method? By adding the spirit, the sugar in the wine doesn't convert to alcohol, but rather settles. The sweetness of a Madeira wine is determined by the timing of the alcohol fermentation stop. If a lot of sugar has already fermented, the wine will be less sweet than those with shorter fermentation times.
When heated, the sugar caramelizes further, giving Madeira its unique color and its characteristic flavor. This also accelerates the wine's maturation. It is stored in barrels for three to five months at temperatures ranging from 40 to 75°C.
This process ensures that Madeira wine has a very long shelf life. An opened bottle can be kept for a very long time without going bad. This means that Madeira wine opened during some grandparents' lifetimes may still be perfectly drinkable today!
The certain barrel note
The greatest effect on the incomparable flavor of Madeira wine is barrel aging. Madeira must always be aged in barrels. The rule of thumb is: the longer the wine stays in the barrel, the better the flavor. Barrels vary greatly, ranging from brick-built concrete vats and glass carboys to wooden barrels and steel tanks.
Due to the very long barrel aging, the wine oxidizes through contact with oxygen, resulting in a reduction in volume. This reduction gives Madeira a complex and very intense flavor.
Madeira wine has high tannin content, but also a high acidity. The volatile acidity is noticeable on the nose, and on the palate, the notes range from sweet chocolate to bitter dryness.
What distinguishes Madeira wine from port wine?
Both port and Madeira were introduced to the world by English traders. To bridge the long, cold winters on the island, the authorities enjoyed drinking the wines with a bite to warm themselves up.
Both wines are fortified—a term used to describe the addition of alcohol during the fermentation process. Port, however, is made from red grapes and is usually fortified with the addition of brandy.
Unlike Madeira wine, port is not warmed up but stored cool.
The main grape varieties of Madeira wine
Madeira wines are aged for at least three years, the high-quality ones must withstand five years of storage, and the exclusive ones start at 10 years and can even celebrate their 40th anniversary at some point.
There are basically four different types of Madeira wine:
- dry
- medium-dry
- semi-sweet / medium sweet / medium rich
- sweet / sweet / rich
The authorized grape varieties from which Madeira wine is produced are exclusively white and are limited to: Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, Malvasia and Tinta Negra Mole.
Sercial – The Dry One
This grape produces dry and acidic wines. The Sercial is grown in the higher elevations of Madeira and develops very delicate almond aromas.
The wine has such a high acidity when young that it's undrinkable and requires a long aging period of 20 years to develop its full flavor. Sercial wines are among the highest quality Madeira wines and are usually served slightly chilled as an aperitif.
Verdelho – The Semi-Dry
Verdelho is a capricious grape, as it is very difficult to cultivate. However, the wines it produces have structure and a beautiful golden color.
This grape is the main variety of the popular "Rainwater Madeira." Legend has it that the wine's distinctive flavor originated when a load of barrels were soaked on the beach, thus diluting the wine.
Verdelhos are semi-dry and a light delight for the palate. Their aromas are reminiscent of dried fruit and honey, but also contain notes of chocolate and coffee. Ideal with olives and roasted almonds.
Boal – The Semi-Sweet
This semi-sweet grape is very aromatic and balanced. Boals are fruity and full-bodied—a sweet and sour version of Madeira with aromas of lemon, apricot, orange peel, caramel, dried fruit, and coffee.
The young Boals are wonderful accompaniments to soft cheeses, while the older ones are delicious with hard cheeses. Cigar lovers also claim this Madeira wine for themselves.
Malvasia – The Sweet
This very sweet and rich wine is the most famous Madeira wine. The Malvasia grapes (also known as Malmsey) are grown in the lowlands of Madeira and produce a dessert wine with a dark color.
The aromas are diverse and full-bodied, reminiscent of jam, vanilla, and caramel. Malvasia pairs wonderfully with tropical fruit, as well as dried fruit, walnuts, and hazelnuts.
Madeira wine also makes a harmonious accompaniment to sweet treats. It can be enjoyed with desserts such as fruit tarts and cakes, as well as with butter biscuits, chocolate, and petit fours.
Cheese lovers won't be left out either, as Malvasia pairs perfectly with the Portuguese cheeses Serra and Serpa. It also holds its own with intense blue cheeses like Roquefort, Stilton, Gorgonzola, and Danish Blue.
Tinta Negra Mole – The all-rounder
The Tinta Negra Mole is an interesting grape variety that can accommodate all flavors, even though it's not a noble grape. Whether dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, or sweet—it can do it all. That's why more than half of all Madeira wines are made from it.
Why? The grape is grown at different altitudes and therefore contains more or less sugar.
Thirsty for more knowledge about Portuguese wines? Then check out our article on the different wine categories from Portugal . With this information, you'll impress any connoisseur.
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