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
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
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
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
5
Q
soils
A
- volcanic origin and high nutrients
- basaltic and clayey
- plentiful rain
- provides fertile condition and therefore vigorous vines
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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