Have some Madeira, m'dear

Madeira is one of those wines that has dropped in and out of fashion over the years and is currently somewhat out of fashion. This is a great shame as many people don't know the joys of a good Madeira.

I suppose it's one of those wines that has a certain air of mystery surrounding it, not to say confusion. Madeira seems to have been lost in translation somewhere.

Within the wine trade Madeira is a big hit and liked by most for its complexity and style, yet outside the wine trade it is little known  and little understood.

So, lets start with the basics. Madeira is a small island just off of Portugal. To be precise it is an archipelago of Portugal discovered in 1419.

Madeira wine, much like Port is fortified with natural grape spirits and ranges in styles from dry through to sweet.

Madeira is noted for its unique winemaking process which involves heating the wine and deliberately exposing the wine to some levels of oxidation, this gives the unique and complex flavours found in a good Maderia.

There are 4 main types of Madeira from sweet through to dry. These are Malvasia (also known as Malmsey or Malvazia), Bual (or Boal), Verdelho, and Sercial.

One of the best Madeira houses is called Barbeito. They produce an excellent range of the 4 styles of Madeira.  The Verdelho was recently written about by Jancis Robinson on her Twitter page where she said:

"Sipping Barbeito 10 yr old Verdelho madeira. Criminally good: what balance (not bone dry); what persistence; what flexibility."

It was also recommended in the Telegraph magazine on 19th March 2011.

Buy Barbeito 10yr old Verdelho Madeira here.

Blog written by John Martin