A fortified wine deliberately heated and oxidised, running from bone-dry Sercial to sweet Malmsey. Barrels shipped through the tropics turned out to improve with the heat, so producers copied the effect on land with estufagem — and Madeira was what toasted the 1776 US Declaration of Independence.
It is a protected island appellation, fortified with a licensed spirit and then heat-aged for months or decades in a controlled loft or tank.
What goes into it
- Sercial, Verdelho, Bual, Malmsey or Tinta Negra grapes
- grape spirit
- heat
How it is made
The wine is fermented, fortified with grape spirit at a point chosen to set the sweetness, and then deliberately cooked. Cheaper wine is heated in a stainless tank at around 50°C (122°F) for three months; the fine wine is put in casks in a warm loft — the canteiro — and left for years or decades while the sun does it slowly. The heat and the oxidation are what make Madeira nearly indestructible once opened.
How long it takes: three months of estufagem, or twenty years and more in the canteiro
How it is eaten
Cool as an aperitif for the dry styles, after dinner for the sweet; an opened bottle keeps for months.
History
Barrels shipped through the tropics improved with heat, so producers copied the effect with estufagem; Madeira toasted the 1776 US Declaration of Independence.
Frequently asked questions
What is Madeira wine?
Madeira wine is a wine & spirit from Portugal: fortified wine heated and oxidised, from dry Sercial to sweet Malmsey. Barrels shipped through the tropics improved with heat, so producers copied the effect with estufagem; Madeira toasted the 1776 US Declaration of Independence.
How is Madeira wine made?
The wine is fermented, fortified with grape spirit at a point chosen to set the sweetness, and then deliberately cooked. Cheaper wine is heated in a stainless tank at around 50°C (122°F) for three months; the fine wine is put in casks in a warm loft — the canteiro — and left for years or decades while the sun does it slowly. The heat and the oxidation are what make Madeira nearly indestructible once opened. It takes three months of estufagem, or twenty years and more in the canteiro.
Can I make Madeira wine at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is a protected island appellation, fortified with a licensed spirit and then heat-aged for months or decades in a controlled loft or tank.
What goes into Madeira wine?
Sercial, Verdelho, Bual, Malmsey or Tinta Negra grapes, grape spirit, heat.
How is Madeira wine eaten?
Cool as an aperitif for the dry styles, after dinner for the sweet; an opened bottle keeps for months.
