3 - Madeira

Question 1

Madeira

Answer 1

• Portuguese island discovered 1419
• located in the Atlantic Ocean 600 km from the coast of Morocco
• 17th and 18th centuries as British merchants arrived
• wines was send to the colonies in North America and the West Indies

Question 2

Instituto do vinho da Madeira

Founded 1979

but

In 2006 change

Instituto do vinho, do bordado e do artesanato da Madeira
IP-RAM ( IVBAM)

Answer 2

• regulate Madeira wine production
• 1986 portugal became part of the EU and further regulations were introduced
• together with EU subsidies led to improvements in the quality

Question 3

climate

Answer 3

• in general warm summers (averages around 20-22C) and mild winters (average around 16-17C)
• lack of winter dormancy can be a problem in the warmest sites
• mountainous island there is a range of microclimates with temperatures becoming cooler with altitude
• mountains reaching up 1800m
• cause moist air in the humid winds arriving from the north-west to cool and condense into rainclouds

-north and centre of the island are considerably cooler and wetter
(rainfall can exceed 3000mm per year in the centre) than the south

-majority of rain falls in the autumn and winter

Question 4

environment

Answer 4

• island area is approximately 74000ha
• 500ha planted with vineyard
• vineyards are found up to altitudes around 800m
• vineyards are located relatively near the coast

Question 5

soils

Answer 5

• volcanic origin and high nutrients
• basaltic and clayey
• plentiful rain
• provides fertile condition and therefore vigorous vines

Question 6

grape varieties

Answer 6

• powdery mildew and phylloxera devastated the vineyards in the late 19th century
• dramatically change the make-up of grapes varieties on the island

-recommended varieties
Sercial, verdelho, Boal, Malvasia and Terrante, tinta negra

-authorised varieties

Question 7

Tinta negra

Answer 7

• black grape
• most planted variety on the island
• high yields and easy to grow
• from 2015 the producers can state on the labels
• can be used to produce wines at all levels of sweetness

Question 8

Sercial

Answer 8

• known for the high acidity
• used to do the driest styles
• late ripening
• especially in cool sites can be the last variety to be picked
• barely rich the minimum level of potential alcohol
• resistant to powdery mildew
• susceptible to botrytis bunch rot
• can experience poor fruit set
• plantings are small

Question 9

Verdelho

Answer 9

• second most planted vinifera variety
• high acidity but slightly lower levels than sercial
• susceptible to botrytis bunch rot, coulure, downy and powdery mildew

Question 10

Boal

Answer 10

• is an umbrella term for a number of grape varieties
• boal cachudo or malvasia fina(found in white port)
• grow best on the warm, low altitude sites in the south
• susceptible to drought (needs adequate irrigation)
• typically used to produce semi-sweet wines

Question 11

Malvasia

Answer 11

• umbrella term for a number of grape varieties
• Malvasia Candida was historically the most important and still highly prized for the quality
• very susceptible to powdery mildew
• which can limit yields
• currently only small plantings
• Malvasia de Sao gorge is the most planted
• can produce relatively high yields
• susceptible to botrytis bunch rot

Question 12

Terrantez

Answer 12

• very limited planting
• susceptible to powdery mildew and botrytis bunch rot
• therefore picked soon after reach potential alcohol of 9%abv

Question 13

Vineyard management

Answer 13

-vineyards are terraced to plant on the steep slopes

• vines generally trained and trellised into a pergola system called LATADAS
• this type of trellis slows air circulation above and beneath the vines
• this helps reduce incidence of fungal diseases in the humid climate
• permits other crops to be grow on the land underneath
• making effective use of a small landholding

-vines are also planted with cordon-trained VSP-trellised vines called ESPALDEIRA

• disease pressure is high because the warm, humid climate
• downy mildew, botrytis bunch rot and phomopsis are all problems
• canopy management techniques
• shoot positioning
• leaf removal
• fungicide sprays are usually necessary
• irrigation is widely practised
• rainwater is carried from the centre of the island to vineyard areas by (levadas)(small irrigation channels)
• lower rainfall irrigation is more required in the south of the island
• the official harvest date is decided by IVBAM in consultation with producers and growers
• usually at the end of August or the start of September
• because of topography, harvesting tends to be done by hand
• minimum potential alcohol at harvest must be 9%abv
• general the grapes are picked with average potential alcohol of up to 11%abv
• price paid for grapes differ based on grapes health and variety
• traditional varieties of sercial, verdelho, boal, Malvasia, and terrantez fetch much more than tinta negra
• maximum permitted yield varies according to the vintage conditions
• high yields of 150hL/ha are not unusual
• is easy to reach with fertile soils and plentiful water for irrigation