Winter in Pittsburgh is COLD! How about something warm, sultry and sweet to cuddle with?
Try Madeira!
(We’re a wine society! What did you think we meant?)
At our next tasting event in February, John Eld will guide us through a selection of fortified wines and Madiera is going to be on the tasting list. So, here’s a “taste” of what’s to come.
Did you know that Madeira was poured during Thomas Jefferson’s toast at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, or that it was served at the inauguration of George Washington? At one time, Madeira was recommended for sick and overworked people (nicknamed the “milk of the old”). It was a fundamental part of our history, but today, we would assume 99.99% of Americans know nothing about Madeira. For most of us, Madeira is just a difficult-to-find ingredient for an obscure French sauce. Click Here for the Recipe
We know that Madeira isn't easy to find, nor is it easy to understand. So please don’t feel frustrated if you can’t comprehend it at first. It’s complicated, but it’s absolutely worth the effort! And, your Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Wine Society is here to help.
What is Madeira Wine?
Madiera is a fortified wine, aged in heat, and produced in the specific region of Madeira from five distinct grapes. It’s sold as either Dry, Medium Dry, Medium Sweet or Sweet, all of which have high levels of acidity.
This acidity is a direct result of its location: an archipelago, just off the northwestern coast of Morocco. There are two inhabited islands, Madeira and Porto Santo, as well as two uninhabited islands, the Desertas and Selvagens. Of these four islands, only Madeira and Porto Santo grow grapes.
As for the grapes, the main varietal is Tinta Negra Mole, which is a cross of Grenache and Pinot Noir. But you’ll also find four “noble” grapes including: Sercial, Verdelho, Boal (also known as Bual) and Malvasia (aka Malmsey). On rare occasion, Terrantez and Bastardo grapes might pop up, but not often.
If you’re now panicking that your next trip to the State Store will result in sweaty palms when you can’t remember names of those grapes, don’t worry, because the process of making Madeira wine tends to strip much of the varietal characteristics when it’s finally bottled and sold. So, getting too hung up on the grape characteristics won’t help much. What’s important to know is which grapes are used to create each style of wine.
Styles of Madeira Wine
This is by far the easiest (and hardest) part to explain about Madeira wine. Madeira is often made as a single varietal, which due to legislation, determines the wine’s sweetness level. We’ve listed the sugar levels associated with each grape below. But how we define “sweetness” is not only by the grape and its sugars, but also balance.
There are four levels of sweetness marked on every Madeiran wine label: Dry (Seco), Medium Dry (Meio Seco), Medium Sweet (Meio Doce) and Sweet (Doce). (measurements are in grams of sugar per liter)
What is Madeira Wine?
Madiera is a fortified wine, aged in heat, and produced in the specific region of Madeira from five distinct grapes. It’s sold as either Dry, Medium Dry, Medium Sweet or Sweet, all of which have high levels of acidity.
This acidity is a direct result of its location: an archipelago, just off the northwestern coast of Morocco. There are two inhabited islands, Madeira and Porto Santo, as well as two uninhabited islands, the Desertas and Selvagens. Of these four islands, only Madeira and Porto Santo grow grapes.
As for the grapes, the main varietal is Tinta Negra Mole, which is a cross of Grenache and Pinot Noir. But you’ll also find four “noble” grapes including: Sercial, Verdelho, Boal (also known as Bual) and Malvasia (aka Malmsey). On rare occasion, Terrantez and Bastardo grapes might pop up, but not often.
If you’re now panicking that your next trip to the State Store will result in sweaty palms when you can’t remember names of those grapes, don’t worry, because the process of making Madeira wine tends to strip much of the varietal characteristics when it’s finally bottled and sold. So, getting too hung up on the grape characteristics won’t help much. What’s important to know is which grapes are used to create each style of wine.
Styles of Madeira Wine
This is by far the easiest (and hardest) part to explain about Madeira wine. Madeira is often made as a single varietal, which due to legislation, determines the wine’s sweetness level. We’ve listed the sugar levels associated with each grape below. But how we define “sweetness” is not only by the grape and its sugars, but also balance.
There are four levels of sweetness marked on every Madeiran wine label: Dry (Seco), Medium Dry (Meio Seco), Medium Sweet (Meio Doce) and Sweet (Doce). (measurements are in grams of sugar per liter)
- Sercial – Dry (Seco) ≤ 59.3 gr/L
- Verdelho – Medium Dry (Meio Seco) 54.2 –78.1 gr/L
- Boal – Medium Sweet (Meio Doce) 78.1 –100.04 gr/L
- Malvasia – Sweet (Doce) ≤ 100.04 gr/L
(Rule of thumb is that 60 grams of sugar is equivalent to around 16 sugar cubes.)
Easy, right?! Now you simply head to your local Fine Wines and Spirits store and pick out a Madeira wine based on your preferred level of sweetness, right? Nope! Here’s the problem. “Dry” is not always the “Dry” you think it might be. The minimum sugar level is approximately 20 grams/liter, making every single one of these wines technically sweet.
Unfortunately, there’s no way for you to know how you’ll taste a specific Madeira wine without being familiar with the specific house and style. Lucky for you there are only a handful of Madeira Houses, making the learning curve somewhat reasonable.
Sweetness, grapes and acidity aside, will you like these wines? The answer: YES! Think rich, earthy flavors of dried fruits, honey, coffee, molasses and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc). Then toss in fresh peach and red fruit every now and again, and you have an evolving wine, layered with complex flavors. These wines are special and unpredictable. Most importantly, they’re addictive! Like Sherry, once you dive in, you won’t want to leave.
Cheat sheet for Madeira Wine
- Reserve (five years) – This is the minimum amount of aging a wine labeled with one of the noble varieties is permitted to have.
- Special Reserve (10 years) – Wines are often aged naturally without any artificial heat source.
- Extra Reserve (over 15 years) – A style that’s rare to produce, with many houses aging to 20 years for a vintage or producing a Colheita. It’s richer than a Special Reserve Madeira.
- Colheita or Harvest – This style includes wines from a single vintage but aged for a shorter period than true Frasqueira Madeira. The wine can be labeled with a vintage date but includes the word Colheita on it. This style must be aged at least 20 years.
- Finest - has been aged for at least three years. This style is usually reserved for cooking.
- Rainwater - a style of Madeira that’s mild and tends to be made with Tinta Negra Mole.
The great part about Madeira is that storage is not an issue. So, if you find it, it’s most likely in good condition. That said, tasting Madeira on the island itself takes the experience to an HNL (whole new level), because Madeira island is one of the most beautiful places you’ll ever visit. A glass of Madiera paired with a skewer of freshly grilled meat while overlooking the volcanic islands terraced landscape is beautiful, if not life altering.
No comments:
Post a Comment