4. Madeira Flashcards
Madeira is a _________ island in the Atlantic Ocean, around 600 km from the coast of Morocco.
Madeira is a Portuguese island in the Atlantic Ocean, around 600 km from the coast of Morocco.
The fortified wine made on this island is also called Madeira.
The island of Madeira was discovered in _____The island of Madeira was discovered in 1419 and was first colonised by Portuguese merchants and their labourers.
The island of Madeira was discovered in 1419 and was first colonised by Portuguese merchants and their labourers.
Describe the period from Madeira’s discovery to the 18th century.
Since it’s discovery in 1419, large areas of forest were burnt to provide room for agriculture and increase the fertility of the soil. Terraces and irrigation channels were built. Although initially sugar, wheat and vines were the main crops and exports, the sugar industry declined during the 16th Century mainly due to competition from other countries, and wine became the main export.
Exports of wine grew further in the 17th and 18th Centuries as British merchants arrived in Madeira and sent the wine to their colonies in North American and the West Indies. It was found that long periods of time pitching and rolling in the holds of ships sailing to and from the tropics improved the quality of the wines, and soon the wines were used as hold ballast on such trips, with the sole purpose of improving the quality of the wine.
Describe the Madeira’s period from the 19th to the 20th century.
The 19th and 20th centuries were more difficult for the Madeira wine trade. Powdery mildew and then phylloxera hit the island in the mid to late 19th century, destroying vines and reducing yields. During the 20th century, Prohibition in the USA, two World Wars and the Russian Revolution negatively impacted the wine trades in many of Madeira’s major markets at the time. Towards the end of the century sales became more stable, but consumer tastes had changed, and sales were far below their peak in the 18th century.
The Instituto do Vinho da Madeira was founded in 1979 to regulate Madeira production, which was superceded in 2006 by the __________________________________.
The Instituto do Vinho da Madeira was founded in 1979 to regulate Madeira production, which was superceded in 2006 by the Instituto do Vinho, do Bordado e do Artesanato da Madeira, IP-RAM (IVBAM).
In _____, Portugal became part of the EU and further regulations in Madeira were introduced.
In 1986, Portugal became part of the EU and further regulations in Madeira were introduced.
This together with EU subsidies led to improvements in the quality of Madeira wines, and this investment in quality has continued into the 21st century.
