Madeira Wine and Independence Day

The volcanic island of Madeira (wood in Portuguese) is one of the several places that I hope to visit before I die.  I’ve seen the images on RTPi and there’s no doubt that this archipelago is a very unique place on earth.  Though Madeira is closer to Africa from a geography stand point, politically and culturally it is part of Portugal.  The island has rich biodiversity, great weather and a very unique wine.

I was about 13 the first time that I encountered Madeira wine while reading the book Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, one of the few books I’ve ever read from beginning to end.  But I was not aware of the role of Madeira wine in American history until the US History course in my senior year at New Bedford High.  That’s when the bilingual teacher proudly pointed out to all of us in the class that Madeira wine was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson.  Now that’s how you connect with a “fresh off the boat” Portuguese kid and teach him a little about American history!  Historians have documented that when the founding fathers raised a glass to toast the signing of the United States declaration of independence, it was Madeira they drank.  Madeira might have been the very first cult wine in America.

What I find most fascination about the wine however, is not its historical references but the process used to make it.  Madeira is made mostly from grape varietals Boal, Malvasia, Verdelho and Sercial.  The wine is fortified similarly to Port wine which means that brandy is added to the grape juice at some point during the fermentation.  Depending on when the brandy is added, the result may be a more or less sweet wine.  So, just like with Port, Madeira wine doesn’t necessarily have to be sweet.  So far no surprises... but what happens next is what’s so amazing about this wine.

After the brandy fortification, the wine is heated either naturally by exposing the barrels to high temperatures caused by the sun (process known as the “canteiro”) or by heating it in stainless steel tanks.  In either case, the wine is basically put through a mild pasteurization.  The “canteiro” method takes much longer and develops better flavors.  The wine is then left to age in oak barrels for many years and often exposed to air causing the wine to become oxidized.  Eventually the wine is finally transferred to glass containers or bottles.  The wine is also high in alcohol content (20+ % volume) so it’s very robust and will last for decades.

So, why do I find this process fascinating?  Because two of the most basic "rules" of winemaking are broken.  First, the wine is exposed to high temperatures for a long time.  Second, the wine is deliberately exposed to air.  Try this on any other wine which is not fortified and you end up with vinegar at best.

For this July 4th weekend why not stop at your local wine shop and pick up a bottle of Madeira wine to celebrate Independence Day?  That’s what I plan on doing and you can’t say that it’s not patriotic.  I wouldn’t recommend it with a burger or barbecue ribs but it should go well at the end of the night on its own or with some dessert.

Related Links:
Madeira wine guide
Most recent top quality Madeira wine offerings by the "Rare Wine Company" (pdf) 

Comments

[1WineDude]

I *love* this stuff. Trouble for me, is that it's really difficult to get it here in PA!

[Marco Montez]

Joe, even here in MA where we have a fairly large Portuguese community, you won't find a great variety of Madeira wine. We do however have the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, aka Madeira Feast during which you can get authentic Madeira wine straight out of the barrel.