Your Ultimate Guide To Madeira Wine

Madeira, a fortified wine, is available in both dry and sweet forms. It is named after the little, beautiful island of Madeira, which is located in the centre of the Atlantic Ocean. Madeira has a particular flavour because it is cooked repeatedly. Heating produces wine with intriguing flavours of roasted almonds, stewed fruit, caramel, and toffee.

In the 1600s and 1700s, wine frequently went bad and had to be fortified (by adding a little brandy) to get it through the sea voyage. Shippers would stock up on Madeira wine on their route to England and the Americas at the time since the island of Madeira served as a crucial stopping place for supplies on voyages to the Americas and the East Indies. The ships would heat and chill the Madeira wine barrels as they travelled through the tropics. The wine was given the nickname "Vinho da Roda" by the shippers after they noticed how the flavour deepened and improved during sea ageing.

Madeira wine is regarded as one of the most highly regarded and well-known fortified wines in the world, with a history spanning more than 400 years. The ancient and authentic vinification process still entails maturing the wines in wood casks heated beneath the roofs of the old homes in Madeira, even if it no longer involves shipping them over the world.

Marsala Wine Vs. Madeira Wine

Because Madeira and Marsala wines have similar names, flavour profiles, and applications, they are frequently confused with one another. Similar stringent guidelines are used to assure the quality of the fortified wine produced in Sicily, Marsala, which is also distinguished by its sweetness, grapes, and vintage. However, unlike Madeira, Marsala is not forced to oxidize; therefore, an open bottle will survive just approximately a month as opposed to a year. When used as an aperitif or dessert wine, as well as in cooking, the two are frequently interchangeable. Choose a Marsala that has the same level of sweetness and is of comparable quality.

Flavour Profile

Madeira wine is available in four different sweetness levels: seco (dry), meio seco (medium dry), meio doce (medium sweet), and doce (sweet). Due to the maderi-ization process, most Madeiras have some sweet flavours. Every Madeira is heated to extend its shelf life and enhance its characteristic caramel smells. Madeira wine is reliably heated for three months during bulk production in enormous tanks known as estufa. This simulates a longer procedure but could produce a charred flavour. Some producers only employ sun heat, but high-end Madeiras are aged in heated oak barrels for several years.

Food Pairings

Verdelho, Terrantez, and Sercial are excellent dry Madeira varietals for aperitifs. Serve alongside sushi, smoked salmon, tart-sauced salads, or olives. Serve with smooth goat cheese or sheep's milk cheese for a delicious cheese combination. Additionally, it goes well with sweets like apple tarts and other fruit-flavoured pastries.

Malvasia, a sweeter version of Madeira, is a great digestif and dessert wine. Serve with sweet pastries covered with nuts, honey, or berries, dried fruit, blue cheeses, and sweets made with dark chocolate. Like a good cognac, a well-aged Madeira should be enjoyed on its own.

Storage Instructions

Although most wine bottles can remain unopened for years, they will eventually deteriorate. However, a bottle of Madeira wine that has not been opened can last for hundreds of years because of its unique heating and maturing procedure.

Madeira can be stored for months or even years after it has been opened. Madeira doesn't have that issue, unlike other wines, which will turn into a vinegary liquid after too much oxidation. Just be sure to store the wine correctly by keeping it away from heat and in a cold, dark place.