Madeira; madeira [muh-DEER-uh] | Wine Terms

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Madeira; madeira
[muh-DEER-uh]

1. True madeira comes from Portugal’s Madeira island, which is located some 530 miles southwest of Lisbon and 360 miles due west of Morocco. It receives Portugal’s highest quality ranking—DENOMINAÇÃO DE ORIGEM CONTROLADA (DOC). Madeira is one of the three best-known FORTIFIED WINES, the others being PORT and SHERRY. Madeira is unique in that it gains its flavor from elements that would ruin most other wines—heat and oxidization (see OXIDIZED). The first madeiras evolved from the days when wines were transported by ship. It was discovered that during the lengthy voyage, the air circulation (which caused oxidization) and warm temperatures created wonderful wines. Today this activity is emulated through a process called estufagem, during which the wines are placed in hot rooms or heated tanks (estufas) for a minimum of 90 days where they’re allowed to bake slowly. The finer madeiras are stored in wooden casks and left in attics or other extremely warm areas for years. This wood aging slowly develops the tangy, burnt-caramel, slightly bitter flavor that’s unique to this wine. Madeira ranges in color from pale blond to deep tawny. It runs the gamut from quite DRY to very sweet and is usually fortified to the 18 to 20 percent alcohol^Mrange. There are four distinct styles of madeira. The pale golden SERCIAL is the lightest, driest style. It’s followed by VERDELHO, which is sweeter and stronger, and then by BOAL (or Bual), which is fuller and sweeter than either of the previous two. MALMSEY is the richest, darkest, and sweetest of the group. The two lighter wines are generally used as APÉRITIFS, and the heavier, sweeter styles, as DESSERT WINES. Rainwater is a SOFT, medium-dry Verdelho. The name, so the story goes, comes from a time when shipments of madeira were left awaiting pickup on one of the island’s beaches, during which time the barrels absorbed water during rain showers. This diluted the alcohol and created a less potent wine. The four styles of madeira were originally made from the classic VARIETALS—Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, and MALVASIA (called Malmsey on the island of Madeira)—but since the late 1800s, more TINTA NEGRA MOLE grapes have been used, especially in the cheaper versions. In 1986, however, Portugal entered the European Common Market, whose regulations require that by 1993 any madeira wine naming a variety on its label must contain at least 85 percent of that grape. This labeling requirement has caused an upsurge in replanting of the four classic vines. Wines labeled “Boal-style” or “Sercial-style” can contain less than the required 85 percent and most likely are made from Tinta Negra Mole. 2. A generic name used for dessert wines made in the United States in an attempt to mimic true madeiras. These wines cannot compare with the Portuguese originals, but then they’re a fraction of the price.

Related Links: surdo, Tinta Madeira, acetaldehyde, Verdelho

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