Madeira wine

Madeira is a fortified wine made on the Portuguese island of Madeira, in the North Atlantic Ocean, just under 400 kilometers (250 mi) north of the Canary Islands, Spain and 520 kilometers (320 mi) west of Morocco. Madeira is produced in a variety of styles ranging from dry wines, which can be consumed on their own, as an apéritif, to sweet wines usually consumed with dessert. Lower-priced Madeira is also used for cooking; are often flavoured with salt and pepper, but these are not fit for consumption as a beverage.

The islands of Madeira have a long winemaking history, dating back to the Age of Exploration (approximately from the end of the 15th century), when Madeira was a standard port of call for ships heading to the New World or East Indies. To prevent the wine from spoiling, the local vintners began adding neutral grape spirits. On the long sea voyages, the wine would be exposed to excessive heat and movement, which benefited its flavour. This was discovered when an unsold shipment of wine was returned to the islands after a round trip.

Today, Madeira is noted for its unique winemaking process that involves oxidizing the wine through heat and ageing. The younger blends (three and five years old) are produced with the aid of artificial application of heat to accelerate the aging process; the older blends, colheitas and frasqueiras, are produced by the canteiro method. Because of the way these wines are aged, they are very long-lived in the bottle, and those produced by the canteiro method will survive for decades and even centuries, even after being opened. Wines that have been in barrels for many decades are often removed and stored in demijohns where they may remain unharmed indefinitely.

Some wines produced in small quantities in Crimea, California, and Texas are also referred to as "Madeira" or "Madera"; however, most countries conform to the EU PDO regulations and limit the use of the term Madeira or Madère to wines that come from the Madeira Islands.

History of Madeira

Development and success (15th–18th centuries)

thumb|Madeira's location made it an ideal stopping location for voyages to the [[East Indies.]]

The roots of Madeira's wine industry date back to the Age of Exploration, when Madeira was a regular port of call for ships travelling to the East Indies. By the 16th century, records indicate that a well-established wine industry on the island supplied these ships with wine for the long voyages across the sea. The earliest examples of Madeira were unfortified and tended to spoil before reaching their destination. However, following the example of port, a small amount of distilled alcohol made from cane sugar was added to stabilize the wine by boosting the alcohol content. (The modern process of fortification using brandy did not become widespread until the 18th century.) The Dutch East India Company became a regular customer, picking up large, casks of wine known as "pipes" for their voyages to India.

The intense heat in the holds of the ships had a transforming effect on the wine, as discovered by Madeira producers when one shipment was returned to the island after a long trip. The customer was found to prefer the taste of this style of wine, and Madeira labeled as vinho da roda (wines that have made a round trip) became very popular. Madeira producers found that aging the wine on long sea voyages was very costly, so they began to develop methods on the island to produce the same aged and heated style. They began storing the wines on trestles at the winery or in special rooms known as estufas, where the heat of the island sun would age the wine.

With the increase of commercial treaties with England such as the Marriage Treaty in 1662, important English merchants settled on the island and, ultimately, controlled the increasingly important island wine trade. The English traders settled in the Funchal as of the seventeenth century, consolidating the markets from North America, the West Indies and England itself. Notable brands include Cossart and Gordon founded in 1745 and Blandy's in 1811.

The eighteenth century was the "golden age" for Madeira. The wine's popularity extended from the American colonies and Brazil in the New World to Great Britain, Russia, and Northern Africa. The American colonies, in particular, were enthusiastic customers, consuming as much as 95% of all wine produced on the island each year.

Early American history (17th–18th centuries)

upright|thumb|[[John Hancock, whose boat seizure after unloading a cargo of 25 pipes of Madeira caused riots in Boston.|alt=Full-length portrait of a young man seated at a table - he wears a finely tailored dark suit, knee breeches with white stockings, and a wig in the style of a European gentleman. He holds a quill pen in his right hand, and is turning the pages of a large book with the other hand.]]

Madeira was a very important wine in the history of the United States of America. No wine-quality grapes were grown among the thirteen colonies, so imports were needed, with a great focus on Madeira. One of the major events on the road to the American Revolution in which Madeira played a key role was the seizure of John Hancock's sloop by Boston customs officials on 9 May 1768. Hancock's boat was seized after he had unloaded a cargo of 25 pipes () of Madeira, and a dispute arose over import duties. The seizure of Liberty caused riots to erupt in Boston.

Madeira was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson, and it was used to toast the Declaration of Independence.

Modern era (19th century – present)

The mid-19th century ushered an end to the industry's prosperity. First came the 1851 discovery of powdery mildew, which severely reduced production over the next three years. Just as the industry was recovering through the use of the copper-based Bordeaux mixture fungicide, the phylloxera epidemic that had plagued France and other European wine regions reached the island. By the end of the 19th century, most of the island's vineyards had been uprooted, and many were converted to sugar cane production. The majority of the vineyards that did replant chose to use American vine varieties, such as Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia and Vitis rupestris or hybrid grape varieties rather than replant with the Vitis vinifera varieties that were previously grown.

By the turn of the 20th century, sales started to slowly return to normal, until the industry was rocked again by the Russian Civil War and American Prohibition, which closed off two of Madeira's biggest markets. Some replanting is taking place on the island; however, the tourist trade is generally seen as a more lucrative business than wine-making. Most of the grapes, grown by around 2100 grape growers are from vines planted on small plots of land from which the grape growers survive by making an income from a variety of different inter-grown crops.

Grape varieties

thumb|upright|[[Malvasia (also known as Malmsey or Malvazia) grape variety.]]

Tinta Negra (also known as Negra Mole) is widely described as Madeira’s dominant red grape and the base of much of the island’s production. Approximately 85% of Madeira is produced with the red grape, Negra Mole. The four major white grape varieties used for Madeira production are (from sweetest to driest) Malvasia, Bual, Verdelho, and Sercial. These varieties also lend their names to Madeira labelling, as discussed below. Occasionally one sees Terrantez, Bastardo and Moscatel varieties, although these are now rare on the island because of oidium and phylloxera. Modern reporting highlights Terrantez’s revival from near extinction, with official support intended to increase plantings and preserve the grape on Madeira. After the phylloxera epidemic, many wines were "mislabelled" as containing one of these noble grape varieties, which were reinterpreted as "wine styles" rather than true varietal names. Regulations enacted in 1986 by the European Union introduced the rule that 85% of the grapes in the wine must be of the variety on the label; in 2015, Tinta Negra was elevated to a Recommended varietal and may now also be listed on the label, often alongside a style description such as "Medium-Rich". Thus, wines from before the late 19th century (pre-phylloxera) and after the late 20th century conform to this rule, whereas many "varietally labelled" Madeiras from most of the 20th century do not. Tinta Negra is increasingly treated as Madeira’s workhorse grape and is also capable of producing age-worthy wines. Reviews also describe Tinta Negra as a versatile grape producing Madeira in multiple sweetness levels and offering a higher quality than older summaries imply.

Other varieties planted on the island, though not legally permitted for Madeira production, include Arnsburger, Cabernet Sauvignon, and the American hybrids Cunningham and Jacquet. Estufagem is mainly associated with younger, less expensive Madeira, while the best wines are aged in cask by the slower canteiro method for many years or decades.

Estufagem processes:

Armazém de Calor (heat-cycled rickhouses): Only used by the Madeira Wine Company, this method involves storing the wine in large wooden casks in a specially designed room outfitted with steam-producing tanks or pipes that heat the room, creating a type of sauna. This process more gently exposes the wine to heat and can last from six months to over a year.
Cuba de Calor (heated tanks): The most common, used for low-cost Madeira, is bulk aging in low stainless steel or concrete tanks surrounded by either heat coils or piping that allow hot water to circulate around the container. The wine is heated to temperatures as high as 130 °F (55 °C) for a minimum of 90 days as regulated by the Madeira Wine Institute. However, the Madeira is most commonly heated to approximately 115 °F (46 °C)

Barrel-aging process:

Canteiro (loft aging): Used for the highest quality Madeiras, these wines are aged without the use of any artificial heat, being stored by the winery in warm rooms that are heated only by the warm climate of the Madeira island. Colheita Madeiras are aged for at least five years in this manner, whereas for Frasqueira (vintage) Madeira, this heating process can last anywhere from 20 years to over 200 years in exceptional cases such as the 1795 Barbeito Terrantez.

Wines listed with Solera were made in a style similar to sherry, with a fractional blending of wines from different vintages in a solera system. Another interesting peculiarity of old solera Madeiras is that they were initially developed as a result of trying to extend the stocks of vintages when the vines had stopped being productive due to Phylloxera. Therefore, as there was no younger wine to add to the vintage, it was usually older wines that were added. In recent years, vintage Madeiras have been commanding higher prices than soleras, but, from 1966 (when Michael Broadbent started wine auctions at Christie's), until about the end of the 20th century, solera Madeiras always fetched a premium at auction over the vintage ones.

Rainwater

A style commonly described in modern wine writing called "Rainwater" is a dry-to-medium-dry style of Madeira drunk as an apéritif. Nowaday Rainwater is most often a lighter, dry-to-medium-dry Madeira style, made entirely from Tinta Negra grapes, and aged for around three years including a period in an estufa, though some producers continue to make higher-quality Rainwater versions using traditional grape varieties such as Sercial and Verdelho grapes.

Accounts conflict as to how this style was developed and named. The most common one derives from the vineyards on the steep hillsides, where irrigation was difficult, and the vines were dependent on the local rainwater for survival. Another involves a shipment destined for the American colonies that was accidentally diluted by rainwater while it sat on the docks in Savannah, Georgia, or Funchal. Rather than dump the wines, the merchants tried to pass it off as a "new style" of Madeira and were surprised at its popularity among the Americans.

Other styles

"Quinado-Madeira", a tonic wine dosed with quinine consumed to ward off malaria in tropical regions, and "White Madeira", a lighter style of wine heavily chill-filtered to remove colouring and flavor compounds, were both discontinued at some time in the 20th century. As long as a cork is put into the top of the bottle to prevent the effects of evaporation, fruit flies, and dust, a vintage Madeira, once opened, can last for decades. Properly sealed in bottles, it is one of the longest-lasting wines; Madeiras have been known to survive over 200 years in excellent condition. It is not uncommon to see 150-year-old Madeiras for sale at stores that specialize in rare wine. Vintages dating back to 1780 are known to exist. The oldest bottle that has come onto the market is a 1715 Terrantez.

Before the advent of artificial refrigeration, Madeira wine was particularly prized in areas where it was impractical to construct wine cellars (as in parts of the southern United States) because, unlike many other fine wines, it could survive being stored over hot summers without significant damage. In the Americas, Madeira was traditionally stored in the warm attics of houses.

Collecting and investment

The investment market for Madeira wine is driven by its exceptional longevity and stability, with rare vintage bottles commanding significant premiums at major auction houses such as Christie's and Sotheby's. Because the wine is fortified and subjected to forced oxidation during production, it remains virtually indestructible, allowing bottles from the 18th and 19th centuries to remain drinkable and investable for over 200 years.

Madeira's extreme longevity has established it as a distinct category within the fine wine market. According to the Madeira Wine Index developed by Rare Wine Indices, this collectible status is reflected in long-term appreciation, with the index reporting a compounded annual growth rate of over 6% across a period exceeding two decades.

Notable auction results include a bottle of 1715 JCA & C Terrantez which sold for $39,000 at Christie's in 2016, and a bottle of 1792 Blandy's which realized £25,000 in 2022. Auction prices frequently exceed pre-sale estimates due to the scarcity of pre-phylloxera vintages, as evidenced by a 2018 sale where bottles of 1798 Lenox Madeira sold for $15,925, nearly double their high estimate.

Uses

Popular uses include apéritifs (pre-meal) and digestifs (post-meal). In Britain it has traditionally been associated with Madeira cake.

Madeira is also used as a flavouring agent in cooking. Lower-quality Madeira wines may be flavored with salt and pepper to prevent their sale as Madeira wine, and then exported for cooking purposes. Madeira wine is commonly used in tournedos Rossini and sauce madère (Madeira sauce). Unflavored Madeira may also be used in cooking, such as the dessert dish "Plum in madeira".

Intangible Cultural Heritage

The 11 September 2024, the University of Madeira announced the intention to lead the drafting of an application of the Madeira wine traditions to the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (official announcement here).

References

External links

Images related to Madeira wine
Madeira Wine Guide by Dr. Wolf Peter Reutter
Madeira Wine History