February 14th-Madeira

Madeira isn’t just a Portuguese island and Portuguese archipelago, it is also a fortified wine. Madeira is the largest island in the archipelago and the home of Madeira wine production. These volcanic islands are located west of Morocco and north of the Canary Islands. There are mountains in the center of the island that go up to 6100 feet in elevation. The northern part of the island is cool and humid due to the winds coming off the Atlantic. The southern portion of the island is warmer and drier, which can necessitate irrigation. Madeira wines gained popularity during the establishment of British colonies in North America during the 17th and 18th centuries. While the wines were being shipped in the holds of the boats, there was no temperature control. This created a baked or stewed fruit character in the wines by the time they reached port at their destinations. Wines also needed fortification to prevent spoilage during the long trip. Today, there is an emphasis on making Madeira with traditional grape varieties, such as the white grapes Sercial or Malvasia de São Jorge. Wines are made using techniques to create a similar style to those that were shipped across the Atlantic. They can undergo one of two maturation processes. The first is a more rapid maturation process, Estufagem, where the wine is heated to a high temperature (45-50℃) for a short period of time, about 3 months, then allowed to cool prior to being bottled. The other is a slower aging process, Cantiero, where the wine is sealed in a wood vessel then stored in warmer locations around the warehouse or in the sun where they can reach temperatures ranging from 25-40℃. These vessels will then be moved to cooler locations for prolonged aging. Some Madeira can be aged for over 20 years prior to release.