Madeira

Madeira, a remote volcanic island located in the Atlantic Ocean, gained prominence for its wines during the Age of Exploration, serving as a vital stopover on voyages to the Americas. Madeira wine stands out for its unconventional aging methods, deliberately incorporating practices typically avoided in winemaking. Unlike traditional wines, Madeira undergoes deliberate heating (estufa), cooling, oxygen exposure, and evaporation during aging.

The history of Madeira wines

Madeira Island was pivotal during the Age of Exploration as a crucial stop for ships heading to the New World and the East Indies. To preserve wine on these lengthy voyages, grape spirit was added. Surprisingly, wines that returned unsold exhibited improved flavour, leading merchants to intentionally ship barrels to the Indies, enhancing quality.

Producers of Madeira discovered that aging the wine during lengthy sea voyages incurred significant costs. Consequently, they initiated the development of methods on the island itself to replicate the aged and heated style. 

Madeira wine styles

Madeira Wine is being sold with various ages: 3 years, 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, 30 years and more than 40 years old. These ages denote the maturation time spent in cask.

Single Harvest Madeira are divided into two types: Colheita and Frasqueira, also known as Vintage Madeira. These wines are selected during harvest time based on the quality of the grapes and are placed into specific aging methods.

Colheita wines mature in casks for a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 18 years before being bottled and sold. Thereby a portion of the wine destined for Colheita release is reserved in barrels for further aging. They are later introduced as Vintage Madeira.

Frasqueira or Vintage Madeiras require a minimum of 20 years of maturation in casks before bottling and selling The winemaker decides when to bottle the wine, as each grape variety exhibits its unique aging potential. The extended duration spent in oak casks gives these wines their distinctive aromas and intense complexity, for which they are renowned.

The classifications of Madeira wines

The tradition of winemaking in Madeira spans five centuries. Madeira wine holds the designation of a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), safeguarding its name and exclusivity in the world of wines. Despite its limited production, Madeira offers a fascinating array of wine types, each showcasing unique characteristics and flavors:

• Sercial Madeira: a dry style wine.
• Verdelho: a medium dry style wine.
• Rainwater: a medium dry lighter style wine, crafted from Tinta Negra grapes.
• Boal: a medium sweet style wine.
• Malvasia: a sweet style wine.
• Terrantez: an off dry wine. This grape variety is experiencing a resurgence, yet it remains uncommon and delicate. Historically, it has been integral to the crafting of premium wines, commanding high prices in the market. However, its fragility has led to its near extinction as it has been supplanted by more robust varieties. This varietal is now making a gradual return to prominence.
• Bastardo: a red wine. A lesser-known noble grape and wine acknowledged by IVBAM as Madeiran wine is Bastardo, which teeters even closer to extinction. Its production in 2011 and 2012 was minuscule, amounting to under 100 liters. Cultivating this wine is exceedingly challenging.