About Madeira Wine – Wine from the Enchanted Isles

Earlier this year we spent some time in jail.  We weren’t there due to a crime.  We were there to drink wine!  It was a buck’s party that Trent organised in Pentridge Prison, Victoria Australia.  This prison had been converted into a luxury hotel that included a great wine bar called Olivine.

Pentridge Prison held some of Australia’s most infamous criminals including Ned Kelly and ‘Chopper’ Read.  That history just added to the character and story of drinking in this wine bar.  It made it a unique and memorable experience with great food and wine to boot!  Where we were eating and drinking was literally in a jail cell complete with stone walls and metal bars.  It was a gem.  During this outing we tasted a slew of wines, but it was the first time having a Madeira wine, and that was a standout.

Pentridge Prison – housed infamous criminals like Ned Kelly and ‘Chopper’ Read. It was since been converted into a luxury hotel!

Within the hotel is a fantastic and unique wine bar called ‘Olivine’. They serve great food (try the ‘sprouts’, trust us!) in the actual jail cells. What an experience!

Where is Madeira?

Madeira is the name of an island.  It’s part of an archipelago that belongs to Portugal, however it is closer to Morocco in Africa.  It is a part of what the ancients referred to as the ‘Enchanted Isles’ because it was formed from volcanoes which made the islands steep, and due to its location quite green with vegetation making it a majestic site to see.

What is Madeira wine?

Madeira wine is a fortified wine, which we found out isn’t just a sweet wine.  It can also be a dry wine.  It’s like other fortified wines like Marsala, Port, and Sherry in that it’s made by adding a distilled spirit (usually Brandy) to help it last longer.  This increases the alcohol volume from a white wine’s standard 12% to18% – 20%.  However, the different with Madeira and other fortified wine is in its aging process.  No other fortified wine is intentionally ‘heated’ in temperature.  This is what make it special.

What does Madeira wine taste like?

Madeira wine can be dry or sweet.  Flavours that can be picked up include peach, hazelnut, burnt sugar, caramel, and walnut.

History of Madeira Wine

During the 1600’s and 1700’s all international travel was obviously via boat.  The voyage was long, so often wine carried onboard would spoil.  Subsequently the concept of ‘fortified wine’ which added alcohol such as Brandy to the wine, helped keep the wine from spoiling and lasting longer.

The position of Madeira was pivotal for voyages between to the Americas and East Indies.  Like Singapore and Hong Kong is currently a flight stopover point for many from Australia, Madeira served as a crucial stopover point for sailors travelling across the Equator between Europe, Africa, and America.  Ships would stop over at Madeira and load up on Madeira wine for their trip to England and the Americas.  Casks of wine were loaded onto ships and acted as ballasts to weigh down the ship.  As the ship travelled and was warmed by the sun, so was the wine.  This transformed the wine making its flavour deeper and richer and assisting with its longevity.

The story goes wine producers of Madeira realised the improvement in flavour when an unsold shipment of wine returned to Madeira follow a round trip around the equator.  

How is Madeira Wine made?

Winemakers generally try to avoid the heat and oxygen.  Madeira producers deliberately try to introduce them into their wine.  As Madeira Wine travelled on ships across the equator the wine was heated and cooled multiple times based on the sun exposure and weather.  The wine was also often exposed to oxygen as the lids of the barrel were removed.  These unique factors helped preserve the wine.

As time went by, Madeira producers realised heating their wine via long voyages was not efficient, so they devised to more economical ways of heating and aging their wine.  These were:

• Estufa Method – The wine was aged in heated tanks called ‘Estufa’ for a period of 3 months.  This would caramelise the sugars in the wine.  The temperature is kept at 40 – 50 degrees Celsius during this time.  This is the method used for producing lower quality Madeira.
• Canteiro Method – This replicated the barrels on a ship by placing the barrels in heated rooms or in the sun.  This is considered used by more premium Madeira wines.

After they are heated the wines are tested and go through further aging in old wooden barrels.  The wine is aged for 2, 5, 10, 15, 20+ years old.

How long can Madeira Wine last?

Madeira Wine can last centuries.  One of the oldest bottles in existence comes from 1715.

What are the Grape Varietals used in Madeira Wine?

The four major white varieties used in Madeira wines from driest to sweetest are:

• Sercial – This grape is usually grown in the coolest and tallest vineyards up to 1,000m high.  At these heights and temperatures ripening is slower creating drier and more acidic wines.
• Verdelho – This grape is usually grown in the cooler north side of the island.  It creates medium-dry and medium-sweet wines.
• Bual (Boal) – This grape is usually grown in warmer locations of the south of the island.  It is a sweet wine but is balanced with high levels of acidity.
• Malvasia – This grape is the richest and sweetest of all grapes yet is balanced with levels of acidity.

What to pair Madeira wine with?

Like many other fortified wines Madeira pairs well with sweet pastries and desserts with nuts and honey.  It also pairs with dark chocolate desserts, and blue cheese.

Conclusion

In summary, Madeira wine is fascinating.  From its unique location and historical discovery to its unique winemaking techniques involving temperature and oxygen.  We were only fortunate to try 2 of its varieties but are interested to try more including its dry varieties.  Watch our Madeira episode and review of these varieties at Madeira Wine from the Enchanted Isles.  Let us know what Madeira wine you recommend.