have you ever tasted a Madeira wine? Portugal is known for producing wines that compete with the best in the world, as they are recognized as wines with a lot of body, flavor and aroma that make them very special.
Madeira wines are enriched white wines produced on the Portuguese island of Madeira, located in the Atlantic Ocean, about 350 kilometers northwest of the African coast of Casablanca and situated about 800 kilometers off the coast of Portugal, the island of Madeira is considered to have been making one of the most exclusive wines in the world since at least the 17th century.
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what is Madeira Wine?
Madeira wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Madeira Islands, it is the main product of the economy of this region, as well as being a symbol of Madeira to the world.
Madeira Wine is famous for its indisputable flavor and for being part of the Portuguese gastronomy that captivates the world.
Origin and History of Madeira Wine
Everything seems to indicate that the vines that are used today for the production of Madeira wine come from Greece, and by 1419 the cultivation of Madeira wine formally began, and soon after, grape varieties such as Tinta Negra Mole, Sercial, Bual and Verdelho began to arrive. 
Years later, with the development of trade and the discoveries in the Gulf of Guinea, the Indian Ocean, India and Brazil, Madeira’s strategic importance increased.
Wine was a basic product when making the long voyages between Portugal and India, as well as being an element of trade par excellence.
The important need to supply wine to the ships going from the Atlantic to the New World and the Indies, made Madeira wine quickly gained fame throughout Europe.
During the colonial era, it was found that the island’s wine improved in taste during the boat trip due to the high temperatures of the voyage and the alcohol added so that it would not degrade during the voyage.
They were purifying and great wines were obtained by accelerating their aging by keeping the wine for several months at temperatures between 30 and 50 degrees Celsius.
Madeira wine suffered crises caused by vine diseases in 1852 and the famous phylloxera in 1872. In the 20th century, after a few decades of stagnation, Madeira wine regained its prestige and the Madeira Wine Institute was established.
Characteristics of Madeira Wine
Madeira wines are characterized for being fortified wines, famous for their indisputable flavor and for being part of the Portuguese gastronomy.
- It is a wine that is fortified, oxidized and cooked
- It uses 4 main grape varieties for its production: Sercial, Verdelho, Boal and Malvasia
- It is an amber colored wine
- Caramel and nutty flavors stand out
- Intense and pleasant aroma
Color, taste and aroma of Madeira Wine
Madeira wine is a sweet wine that is usually drunk as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to dessert. It is a wine that can be enjoyed at any time of the day.
- Sight: Amber color with deep golden reflections
- Nose: Complex expression of spicy and toasted tones, many dried fruits, almonds and nuts, old leather, tobacco and coffee
- Palate: It is vigorous with a powerful, open, very long finish that invites meditation
Alcohol Content of Madeira Wine
Madeira wine is a fortified wine with an alcohol content of between 17.5% and 22%, which makes it very special.
Types of Madeira wines
There are different types of Madeira which differ depending on the grape variety used or the degree of sweetness. There are four types of Madeira, according to the name of the grape (Sercial, Verdelho, Boal and Malvasia), if it is present in a percentage higher than 85% or by the degree of sweetness:
Malvasia
It is the sweetest of all, also known as rich, it requires three years of aging in oak barrels. Its texture is velvety and smooth.
Boal
This is the semi-sweetest, also known as sweet, it requires 3 years of aging in oak barrels and has a slight nutty flavor.
Verdelho
This is the semi-dry variety, also known as medium, and requires three years of aging in barrels.
Sercial
It is the driest variety, and is also known as dry, it has a slight nutty flavor and it is recommended to be served at room temperature in order to appreciate all its qualities.
Madeira wines can also be labeled as vintage if it is produced with grapes from a single vintage, and if it is aged for more than 20 years; or as solera when its aging is 3, 5, 10 or 15 years.
Food pairing of Madeira wines
Madeira wines are very pleasant and many prefer them as companions when enjoying a good dish, since thanks to their variety they are an excellent ally.
Malvasia
Thanks to its sweetness it is a good companion when enjoying a dish. As Madeira wines are also widely used in cooking, Malvasia goes perfectly with stewed, roasted and fried cooking methods.
- Meat: Ideal to accompany stewed meats with spicy tones
- Dried fruits: It combines perfectly with fruits, honey, spices and caramel giving to the palate delite
- Blue Cheese: The right companion to enjoy a good blue cheese, its sweetness combines with the strength of the cheese creating a balance of flavor
- Desserts: Thanks to its sweetness it is ideal to accompany chocolates, fruits, ice creams and mousse
Boal
Being semi-sweet, it is ideal for pairing with foods with a ripe character. When used in cooking, Boal pairs perfectly with braising, baking, roasting, frying and grilling methods.
- Dried fruits: Very appropriate to enjoy with nuts
- Cheese: Especially to accompany old hard cheeses, with herbs and spices such as cloves
- Meat: Good with stews, lamb and venison.
- Dessert: Ideal with dark chocolate cookies
Verdelho
Being semi-dry, it is ideal as an appetizer or to accompany main dishes, in cooking it is used under the drying, smoking, grilling, baking, roasting and grilling cooking methods.
- Nuts: The best companion to enjoy hazelnuts
- Cheese: Ideal to accompany a good cottage cheese
- Fish: Great with smoked salmon, shrimp cocktails, mussels and sardines
- Olives: The perfect accompaniment to fatty olives.
- Mushrooms: A special combination that will delight your palate
- Creamy soups: There is no better companion when it comes to enjoying a creamy soup
- Meat: It goes perfectly with red meat in any presentation
- Chicken: Good companion for dishes with chicken curry, in sauce, roasted
- Pork: A good pork dish will make you enjoy with this Madeira
- Duck: Special flavors that please the palate
Sercial
The perfect aperitif, its acidity opens the papillae, allowing to better capture the flavors, in cooking it is used in the cooking methods marinated, grilled, without wood fiber, pickled, salted foods.
- Salads: Any salad with vinaigrette or fresh is good to be accompanied with this type of Madeira
- Dried Fruits: ideal to accompany dried fruits and nuts
- Cheese: Perfect to pair with goat cheese
- Fish: Good to pair with swordfish, scallops and sushi
- Fruit: The ideal companion for tasting green apple and avocado
- Olives: Good companion for all types of olives
how is Madeira wine made?
The method of vinification of Madeira wines consists of subjecting the wine for a few months at high temperatures, around 50° C, using containers specially designed for this purpose.
These containers are made of stone and are divided into compartments that are heated with hot air, derived from a system of heaters.
This process is intended to simulate the effects suffered by the wine in barrels that were transported for long journeys by ship, even through tropical climate zones.
Much of the characteristic flavor of Madeira is due to this practice, which involves an acceleration of the maturation process of the wine.
Also the wine is deliberately kept in contact with the air, causing an additional oxidation process. In Madeira they also use the Canteiros technique , which is the most traditional and least profitable way, which makes the wines produced under this modality more expensive.
The wooden barrels are placed on wooden bars, the canteiros, which isolate them from the ground and prevent them from warping.
The wines rest in cellars near the sea without refrigeration or heating, where the temperature does not vary throughout the year and remains stable at about 20º.
Characteristics of the grapes used to make Madeira wine
Madeira wines are made from 4 varieties of grapes that make them characteristic, these vines that are harvested directly from vineyards near the sea are Sercial, Verdelho, Boal and Malvasia
Sercial Grape
It is a white grape grown in Portugal, on the island of Madeira, its name was given because it is the driest variety of the four classic Madeira varieties used to make fortified wine.
- Cultivated in small quantities in the extreme south of the island
- Late ripening, which allows it to retain its characteristic acidity
- Its skin is light-colored
- Its berries only reach full maturity after the ripening of the Bual, Tinta Negra Mole and Verdelho grapes.
Boal Grape
Also known as Bual, it is one of the vines used to make the best Madeira wines
- Light skinned
- It produces semi-sweet and semi-dry wines
Verdelho Grape
It is one of the most used grapes in Madeira in the elaboration of its wines
- It is a white grape
- It has a fruity aroma
- Good acidity
- Small and medium clusters
- Medium berries
Malvasia Grape
It is a grape harvested in Madeira that gives sweet wines and is the oldest vine in the Mediterranean.
- It has small and conical clusters
- Large yellowish green grapes
- Fine skins
- Sensitive to diseases
- Sensitive to rot
Temperature of Madeira wines
Madeira wines vary in serving temperature which can range from 11°C to 19°C depending on the type of wine.
Price and best brands of Madeira wines
Madeira wines can be found from 6 euros to 60 euros depending on the winery that produces them.
Madere Cruz
It is a caramel colored wine with complex aroma of dried fruits and spicy notes very powerful 7,74 €.
Henriques, Henriques & Henriques Boal, 2000
A dark golden wine, with greenish hues, well developed and complex, with intense aromas of dried fruits 56,90 €.
Barbeito, Sercial Old Reserve 10 Ans Dry
A golden wine with aromas of dried fruits, pine and resin, with a long finish with lots of freshness 44,90 € 44,90.
Justino’s Madeira, Malvasia 10 Years Old
This wine presents notes of caramel and dark chocolate that make it very special, in the mouth it is sweet, smooth and rich in texture with a long finish 35,90 €.
Justino’s Madeira, Verdelho 10 Years Old
This is a golden wine with a delicate aroma, fruity and flowery, in the mouth it presents notes of orange peel and honey with a long, dry finish 35,90 €.
