Madeira
Madeira is one of the oldest and most celebrated wine regions in the world. You may be familiar with our neighbour, Portugal, and its port cities such as Lisbon and Porto. But if you’re not aware of Madeira, think of it as an island off of Portugal that’s home to some of the best wines made in the world.
Tourism focuses heavily on Madeira’s history as a center for trading caravans between Africa, Europe, and North America during the Age of Discovery. However, there are several other reasons why this region has earned its reputation for being one of the finest places to enjoy wine:
The islands’ soils are volcanic in origin (and thus rich in minerals) and have yielded grapes since Roman times;
The climate is milder than Spain or Italy but still very dry (so their wines can age without becoming too acidic);
There are many very old vines (some dating back centuries), which result in lots more flavour;
They have over 300 vineyards—the majority on Pico Island—which yields quality grapes;
And they have oenologists who take an extreme pride in their work.
History
In the 1500s, Portuguese explorers discovered Madeira, a small volcanic island south of Portugal. It was named after the Portuguese word for “rock,” in reference to its rocky coast. The island served as an important port for ships that sailed around the Cape of Good Hope. For centuries, ships stopped at this island to stock up on food and wine to take with them on their long journey back across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe.
The first winemakers settled here in 1418. They chose a particular area to plant vines, because it was shielded from the wind by a range of mountains, and had never been planted before anywhere else in Europe. Their grapes were picked by hand as they were ripe and then were put into barrels where they were stored until they fermented naturally over time. For many years, these wines were called Azevedo wines after the name of one early winemaker (Azevedo means “Azevedo”).
In 1595, during an attempt to colonize Brazil from Portugal, many colonists died from malaria and other diseases that took hold on this island because it was near a source of water near Antarctica known as Lake Victoria in Africa (the lake is now known as Lake Kivu). Those who survived began trading with other European nations for sugar cane rather than planting vines again (they would also have used sugar cane for wine), but eventually returned to wine-making. In 1639, French noblemen led by Michel de Grammont arrived on Madeira and planted vines again; later there were still vineyards planted by Spanish settlers in 1756 when King Charles III visited Madeira on his way back from exile after losing his throne in Spain’s War of Succession..
Grape varieties
Madeira:
Sercial, Verdelho, Bual, and Malvasia (Moscatel)
Pico:
Arinto, Verdelho, Terrantez and São Jorge white varieties
Azores:
Negra Mole, Tinta Negra Mole, Terrantez and other traditional grape varieties.
Styles and appellations
Madeira is a very distinctive region of Portugal, and of Europe for that matter. Its wines are highly prized—the Sercial, which tends to be light in color and fruit, but with good concentration and a long finish; the Verdelho (green), which is rich in fruits and acids; the Bual (red), which often has high tannin levels; the Malvasia (white), which is similar to a dry verdelho, but with more sweetness that light fruit notes; and Terrantez (even smaller whites), which are very delicate in taste.
Madeira’s locations are unique too. The main island of Madeira—a volcanic-based archipelago—is located roughly halfway between Africa and South America, at latitude 38°N. There are two other islands off the north coast of Madeira: Pico Island, at latitude 39°N, a volcanic island just slightly larger than Madeira itself; and Desertas Islands, also part of a volcanic archipelago at latitude 38°N. At this latitude, water temperatures hover over 50 degrees Celsius year round.
In each region there are different styles of wine made from grapes grown on these islands according to the island’s particular conditions. While it can be confusing to understand exactly what these conditions are—we’ll explain them below—it’s important not to forget about this fun fact when navigating around Portugal!
Pico
- Pico is the second largest island in the Azores, located between Faial and São Jorge.
- The maritime climate of Pico is ideal for growing grapes.
- The volcanic soil of Pico is perfect for growing vineyards. This soil also contributes to the distinct tastes of the wine.
- Pico island has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2004.
The wines of Madeira and Pico are as exotic as the lands themselves.
If you’ve been on the lookout for a good wine to sip while you sit by a fire and enjoy the warmth in your bones, you ought to think about visiting Portugal. While it’s true that many of us from North America think of Portugal as a hop-skip-and-a-jump away from Europe, that’s not entirely true for everyone. While Pico Island is only about 115 km away from Madeira (the island with the fortified wine), it’s still pretty far away for most people. However, if you know where to look, there are some unique treasures in this country that not many tourists know about.
One of these treasures is madeira wine. Madeira is one of the oldest wine regions in Portugal, having been produced since 1315 A.D., and producing an average of 2 million liters per year today! Originally Portuguese wines were meant to be consumed fresh on their harvest date (or within a month after), but over time they’ve become used as an ingredient in cooking and baking instead because they age so well; this was how they were able to survive the ravages of time and stay powerful enough to last long enough to make it all the way around the Atlantic Ocean past America before making landfall here on Canadian shores!
Madeira remains one of Portugal’s leading wines regardless due its rich history and artisanal production methods; this is also why any portuguese house will have plenty in its cellar if it wants something special for dinner tonight! As far as my personal experience goes, I have tried more than a few different kinds myself and have never once been disappointed when sampling them out! The main things I look for when tasting portuguese wines are: sweetness level (how sweet does it taste?); acidity level (is it tart or flat?); any fruit notes that might be strong (like peach or pineapple); full body (does it leave you wanting more afterwards?); smooth mouthfeel (does everything feel balanced?); finish