Madeira Wine

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Madeira is named after the island in Portugal where this unique wine is produced. It was discovered by a Portuguese explorer named Gonsalves Zarco, who was blown off course en route to West Africa. While resting on the smaller island he called Porto Santo, he could see another island through the mist and set off to check it out. This gorgeous island was so lush and covered with trees that he named it “Madeira,” which is Portuguese for “wood.”

Once the island was colonized and the land was cleared of many of the trees, the cultivation of sugarcane (from Sicily) began, as well as that of Malvasia grapes (from Cyprus). But because the Portuguese colony of Brazil was already profiting so well from the sugar industry, and making it finer and cheaper than Madeiran product, the focus turned to wine production. Since Madeira is perfectly positioned within the Atlantic shipping lanes to be a natural port of call for ships on their way to and from the Americas or Africa and Asia, this was an inherent benefit for what would become the island wine trade.

Much like the discovery of the island itself, the early process of making this style of wine is as serendipitous as it is cumbersome. When wines were transported to the New World, they had to pass through the tropics, which would essentially cook them. But this transformed otherwise harsh and acidic wines to ones that were mellow, with a burnt flavor that was not unpleasant. This practice then began on purpose, storing wine in ships’ ballasts for round trip journeys, and often repeating it back and forth a couple of times till the wine reached the desired level of toastiness. These wines were called vinho da roda (wine of the round voyage). How the wines survived the trip considering all the rocking, extreme heat and filthy storage conditions is a source of wonder.

By the 1700s, America became the biggest customer of Madeira, buying up nearly a quarter of all the wine produced. The British American and West Indian islands began consuming it as their only wine. Five years before the Boston tea party, there was a riot on the docks when the Brits tried to attach a duty to a shipment of Madeira. It was the wine used to toast the Declaration of Independence and then in honor of George Washington’s inauguration.

But the remote island was not safe from the Oidium (powdery mildew) and Phylloxera louse crisis which devastated most of the crops in the 18th century. Since the only way around it was to graft American onto European stock, most of the new vines became hybrids. Now only about 20% of the vines in Madeira are pure originals.

The modern growing areas are relatively small, especially now that bananas have become the island’s biggest export. When the dense forests were originally cleared and burned in the 1420s, this left a thick layer of wood ash in the soil, which proved to be advantageous for grape growing. The main vineyards are Camara de Lobos and Santana. A more practical form of toasting the wines came into practice, called Madirization. The wine is fortified, then slowly roasted in the barrel, sometimes over a period of several years.

The Madeira subregions are named for the grapes grown there:

    * Bual (Boal): The acidity of this grape is best suited for Madirization.These wines have amazing longevity and have been known to last centuries, with all complexity intact. These tend to be sweeter, rounded wines.
    * Malvasia (Malmsey), grown in the warmest areas and lowest altitudes near the coast, around Camara de Lobos. Known for the sweetest wines, aged in cask.
    * Sercial: grown in the coolest and highest elevated vineyards. After fortification, they spend ten or more years in cask. These are the driest style of wine, but with a nutty, complex finish.
    * Tinta Negra Mole (Tinta de Madeira and Negra Mole): the most widely planted grape that resulted from post-Phylloxera hybrid plantings. This is a red grape that is a cross between Garnacha and Pinot Noir. It is most often used in blends with the other grapes in every style from dry to sweet. If the label does not indicate a Sercial, Malmsey or Boal, then it is like a Negra Mole blend. Some aged, vintage varietal productions as “Colheita” (made in the style of Tawny Port, single vintage aged in cask then bottle aging) and “Frasqueira” (Reserva) have been released.
    * Verdelho: usually planted in the cool vineyards in the north of the island. Mostly used for medium dry wines with balanced acidity that take on a full-bodied, smoky character with aging.

~Amanda Schuster

– Description from Amanda Schuster (hide)

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Mentor for Madeira Wines

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Popular wines made in Madeira under $20

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Cossart Gordon & Co. Bual Madeira 5 Years Old Medium Rich

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Varietals Produced in Madeira View all

Vermentino

History of the grape: Little concrete history is known about Vermentino except that it has recently been identified a...
Verdelho

History of the grape: Verdelho has existed on the island of Madeira in Portugal at least as far back as the 15th cent...
Bual

Bual (or Boal) is a grape variety used in Madeira production. It is the second sweetest of the four noble Madeira gra...
Malmsey

History of the grape: Malvasia is one of those rabbit-like vines that likes to procreate, often spontaneously. For th...
Terrantez
Sercial

Popular Wineries in Madeira View all

Broadbent Port

"Broadbent Selections Inc. prides itself in representing some of the finest small family owned wi...
Vinhos Barbeito

Vinhos Barbeito was founded in 1946 by Mario Barbeito de Vasconcelos and has since then always be...
Blandy's Madeira - (Grupo Symington)

The Blandys are unique in being the only family of all the original founders of the Madeira wi...
Cossart Gordon & Co.

Cossart Gordon & Co. was established in 1745 and is the oldest company in the Madeira Wine trade....

People getting updates on Madeira Wines

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Madeira on Snooth

April 2013

I am a new wine lover. A year or two ago I was having troubles staying away ... ... I love strong drink!2. Madeira - this taste is so haunting that I will never forget it. I think of the sun when I drink it.3. Barbaresco (Nebbiolo) - I had the pleasure of tasting a great Italian red - floral and deep.4. Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon5. Cha... Read More

Forum post in the topic Wine tasting a way to curb...
April 2013

Fellow wine lovers, I have recently initiated a wine blog which deals with ... ... recent trip to the island of Madeira; soon to follow will be Navarra, Spain, and more extended tours of France and Italy. I would love to get folks's reaction to a wine blog whose major concern is to understand contexts of wines as opposed to the more focused wi... Read More

Forum post in the topic New wine blog from world...
April 2013

Broadbent 10 Year Old Malmsey Madeira

Snoothrank:

This is a wine that will last you a while! it has very big flavor, like chocolate and wood. The fruits are orange-like and bright, perhaps with some age to them. Read More

Wine review by LaCiCaDa
March 2013

Henriques & Henriques White Blend Madeira Finest Medium Rich, 5 Years Old NV

Snoothrank:

No written review

Wine review by martins2002
March 2013

Cossart Gordon & Co. Bual Madeira 5 Years Old Medium Rich NV

Snoothrank:

Well, it's a fortified wine, so it's thick and syrupy. I was excited to try Madeira, but it's just too thick and viscous and cloying for me. Reminds me of a liquid sticky toffee pudding. Enticing in theory, not so much in practice. Though, my Madeira-obsessed table mate praised it highly, so I think Madeira lovers might enjoy. Read More

Wine review by johanna83
March 2013

Cossart Gordon Bual Solera 1845 Cossart Gordon Portugal Madeira Madeira 1845

Snoothrank:

I Have a sealed bottle of Centenary Solera Bual 1845 Red Wine. Product of Portugal, Maderia. Shipped by Reid Wines, Bristol, United Kingdom. Imported by:Vieux Vins, Northford, Ct. Net contents: 700 ml Alc. 18% by Volume Question is, is this wine stll drinkable and or what would the bottle be worth full vs empty Read More

Wine review by alanb1108
December 2012

Broadbent Madeira Rainwater Med-Dry

Snoothrank:

Plum, apricot, a bit more dry and a little less sweet than a tawny port. Read More

Wine review by DWCPSC
December 2012

Hello, I have some wines to sell some of the are old, please send me ... me ... 107Funchal – Madeira-------------------------- Vinho da Menina ( 1930)( Maria Alice)Pinhão -------------------------Noval (1996)UnfilteredLate bottled vintagePortBottled in 2001 byQuinta do NovalVinhos S.a Pinhão------------------Reserva PessoalDona AntoniaPorto F... Read More

Forum post in the topic Wines to sell some old from...
December 2012

I have this old botle of Madeira Wine to sell ( Boal) Madeira wineProducce of the island of Madeira ( Portugal)Shipped byAntónio Eduardo HenriquesScs . Ltda Funchal – Madeira Please send your offer to hb2009@sapo.pt Read More

Forum post in the topic Old Madeira Boal
December 2012

Hello, I have to sell this wine D`OLiveiras Madeira Sercial The specification are Vinho Velho (1910)SercialJoão Pereira d`OliveiraWine grower & exporterRua dos Ferreiros, 107Funchal – MadeiraPlease send your offer to hb2009@sapo.pt thanks Read More

Forum post in the topic D`OLiveiras Madeira Sercial 1910
Mar 11, 2009

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Madeira wine ratings and reviews

Winery:	Vinhos Barbeito
Region:	Portugal » Madeira
Varietal:	Sercial
Type:	Dessert/Fortifieds

Winery:	Leacock's
Region:	Portugal » Madeira
Varietal:	Tinta Madeira
Type:	Dessert/Fortifieds

Winery:	Henriques & Henriques
Region:	Portugal » Madeira
Varietal:	Bual
Type:	Dessert/Fortifieds

Winery:	Blandy's
Region:	Portugal » Madeira
Type:	Dessert/Fortifieds

Winery:	Henriques & Henriques
Region:	Portugal » Madeira
Type:	Dessert/Fortifieds

Winery:	Blandy's Madeira - (Grupo Symington)
Region:	Portugal » Madeira
Type:	Table Wines

Madeira Wine

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Varietals Produced in Madeira View all

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Popular wines made in Madeira under $20

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