Madeira wine
Viticulture
Madeira is known as a wine that contains high acidity levels. Soil, climate, and grape variety play a large part in it, but the reasons for this high acidity are still being discussed.
Grape Varieties
For the DO Madeira, a classification has been made into recommended grapes and permitted grapes, altogether there are 20 recognised grapes. With this register, the government has indicated which grape varieties are...
Vinification
The most important steps are: checking the must weight, de-stemming and crushing the grapes, pressing, fermentation, fortification, clarification. Then, the unique Madeira-making maturation under warm conditions starts.
Madeira wine producers
There are eight manufacturers of Madeira wine. You may feel that Madeira is an area which continues to bravely defend itself with its own vibrant culture and idiosyncratic wines against the big world of mass-produced alcoholic beverages. It is what this world needs, a promise...
Madeira wine tasting
Wine aromas are divided into primary, secondary, and tertiary clusters, where each group originates from a different stage of the vine growing and winemaking process.
Gastronomy
Madeira combines fantastically with all kinds of dishes. This is due to the wide array of styles; from the fresh Sercial, an aperitif that pairs beautifully with salads and fish, to a full-bodied and sweet Malvasia, which makes...
Madeira still wines
During their holidays, when in a hotel or restaurant, tourists can be surprised by the island’s own still wine, which at times can bowl them over with their excellent taste. Winemaker Tito Brazão of Quinta do Barbusano in São Vicente has built a reputation with ‘Barbusano’, still Madeiran wines, including a blend of...
Wines of Porto Santo
When it was discovered, Porto Santo was a lot greener, but rabbits were imported for food supplies. That was not a smart move, because rabbits are known to propagate very quickly and to eat everything that comes their way. The same mistake was repeated in Australia over four...
