3 - Madeira Flashcards

1
Q

Madeira

A
  • 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
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2
Q

Instituto do vinho da Madeira

Founded 1979

but

In 2006 change

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

A
  • 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
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3
Q

climate

A
  • 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

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4
Q

environment

A
  • island area is approximately 74000ha
  • 500ha planted with vineyard
  • vineyards are found up to altitudes around 800m
  • vineyards are located relatively near the coast
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5
Q

soils

A
  • volcanic origin and high nutrients
  • basaltic and clayey
  • plentiful rain
  • provides fertile condition and therefore vigorous vines
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6
Q

grape varieties

A
  • 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

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7
Q

Tinta negra

A
  • 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
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8
Q

Sercial

A
  • 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
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9
Q

Verdelho

A
  • second most planted vinifera variety
  • high acidity but slightly lower levels than sercial
  • susceptible to botrytis bunch rot, coulure, downy and powdery mildew
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10
Q

Boal

A
  • 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
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11
Q

Malvasia

A
  • 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
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12
Q

Terrantez

A
  • very limited planting
  • susceptible to powdery mildew and botrytis bunch rot
  • therefore picked soon after reach potential alcohol of 9%abv
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13
Q

Vineyard management

A

-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
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