Madeira

Question 1

On Madeira itself, walls of basalt stone sustain terraces known as?

Answer 1

poios

Question 2

Madeira’s soils?

Answer 2

fertile volcanic soils

Question 3

Most of the vineyards are trained in a?

Answer 3

pergola system, with vines suspended on low trellises known as latadas, in order to combat the dangers of fungal disease in the damp subtropical environment
Vineyards are also planted with cordon-trained, VSP-trellised vines (here called espaldeira)

Question 4

Traditional irrigation systems are called?

Answer 4

levadas

Question 5

Which is the regulating body of Madeira?

Answer 5

Institute of Madeira (IVBAM) regulates harvesting and production methods of Madeira wines

Question 6

Which is the largest company of Madeira?

Answer 6

Vinhos Justino Henriques is the largest company today in Madeira, and is responsible for half of the island’s exports. The Madeira Wine Company, which was formed as an association of exporters and producers in 1913, commands the second largest market share and produces recognizable brands such as Blandy’s and Cossart Gordon.

Question 7

Partidistas are similar to the ?

Answer 7

almacenistas of the Sherry trade

Question 8

Name the Madeira Production Companies

Answer 8

H.M. Borges (founded 1877)
Henriques & Henriques (founded 1850)
Madeira Wine Company (originally formed in 1913 as the Madeira Wine Association, the MWC formally changed its title in 1981)
Pereira D’Oliveira (founded 1850 as a partidista)
Vinhos Barbeito (founded 1946)
Vinhos Justino Henriques (founded 1870)
Faria & Filhos (founded 1949)
Madeira Vintners (Cooperativa Agrícola do Funchal) (founded 2013)

Question 9

The principal noble white grapes of Madeira today are?

Answer 9

Sercial (Esgana Cão), Verdelho, Boal (Bual, Malvasia Fina), and Malmsey (originally Malvasia Candida, now more commonly Malvasia Branca de São Jorge). However, these four grapes account for only a small minority of the total production on the island. Tinta Negra (formerly called Tinta Negra Mole) is the island’s workhorse, accounting for nearly 85% of its total production.
as well as the rarer Bastardo, Terrantez and even Listrão

Question 10

Tinta Negra was upgraded to a recommended grape in ?

Answer 10

2015 and may now appear on labels

Question 11

If a variety is included on the label, the wine must contain a minimum of?

Answer 11

85% of the stated grape if the wine is a multi-vintage blend, or 100% of the stated variety if a vintage is indicated.

Question 12

The varietal wines, in order from sweetest to driest, are as follows:

Answer 12

Malvasia (. Malvasia de São Jorge is the most common), Boal (Boal Cachudo), Verdelho, and Sercial—the latter a piercingly acidic dry wine that can often require decades to soften. The rare Terrantez, unrelated to Argentina’s Torrontés, also produces compelling Madeira wines at a level of sweetness comparable to Verdelho
Sercial and Verdelho are actually harvested last, and are separated from their skins prior to fermentation, whereas Boal and Malmsey are picked first, and may undergo a shorter fermentation on the skins.

Question 13

After fortification (96% grape spirit from FR), the young wine is then subjected to either the?

Answer 13

Estufagem or Canteiro process

Question 14

Describe the estufagem process

Answer 14

Most wines are transferred to the estufa, a stainless steel vat that warms the wine by circulating hot water through serpentine coils inside the tank. In this method, the wine is heated to a temperature of 45-50° C (113-122°F) and held there for at least three months; during this period sugars in the wine will slowly caramelize and give the estufa wine its distinctive character. Once the Estufagem process is completed, the wine enters a period of rest (estágio) for a minimum 90 days before being transferred to cask for aging. Estufagem wines may not be released until two years after the harvest. A more delicate variation on the Estufagem process involves placing the wine in armazens de calor, rooms warmed by nearby tanks or steam pipes rather than the direct heat of the estufa.

Question 15

Describe the canteiro process

Answer 15

In this process, the wines are cask-aged for a period of at least two years in lodge attics. In this manner, the wine is exposed to the gentler, natural warmth of the sun as it undergoes a much slower process of maturation, preventing the burnt caramelization of sugars and resulting bitter flavors associated with rapid heating. Although Canteiro wines may be bottled at a minimum three years of age, the best Vinhos de Canteiro will remain in cask for 20 years or more, developing into the rarest and most treasured wines of the island: Frasqueiras

Question 16

Describe the style of a Sercial wine

Answer 16

The driest varietal Madeira, Sercial displays searing acidity and, over time, its youthful citrus notes evolve into a more complex almond bouquet. Sercial is a suitable aperitif, and often a good accompaniment to light soups and consommés. While considered dry these wines may still contain around 18 to 65 grams per liter of residual sugar

Question 17

Describe the style of a Verdelho wine

Answer 17

Verdelho produces a medium dry wine of high acid, with a smoky, honeyed character. The wines are slightly fuller in body than Sercial. Considered medium dry, these wines may still contain around 49 to 78 grams per liter of residual sugar

Question 18

Describe the style of Boal

Answer 18

Boal produces a medium sweet, rich style of wine, in which the acidity is still powerful enough to dominate the finish. Highly aromatic, the wines tend to display classic chocolate, roasted nut, and coffee notes. With age, Boal tends to be the darkest Madeira wine in color. These wines, considered medium sweet, may contain around 78 to 96 grams per liter of residual sugar

Question 19

Describe the style of Malmsey

Answer 19

The Malvasia wines represent the sweetest and softest style of Madeira. On the nose, Malmsey evokes toffee, vanilla, and marmalade aromas. The wine can frame a cheese course or dessert flavors of nut, caramel, and dried fruits equally well. Malmsey is considered sweet and may contain around 96 to 135 grams per liter of residual sugar

Question 20

Name the Madeira Multi-Vintage Blends

Answer 20

Rainwater: A popular style in the US, Rainwater Madeira is usually 100% Tinta Negra. The wine is medium dry, and light in style.

Seleccionado: Such bottles are often labeled “Finest,” “Choice,” or “Select,” and include a blended wine that is at least 3 years old (but below five years of age). These wines are dominated by the Tinta Negra grape, heated in Estufagem and aged in tank rather than cask.

Reserve (Reserva): Madeira that is 5 years of age or older (but below 10 years of age) may use this designation.

Special Reserve (Reserva Especial): Madeira that is 10 years of age or older (but below 15 years of age) may use this designation. Wines of this category (and all older designations) are often made of a single noble variety, heated by the Canteiro method.

Extra Reserve: Madeira that is 15 years of age or older (but below 20 years of age) may use this designation.

5 Years Old, 10 Years Old, 15 Years Old, 20 Years Old, 30 Years Old, 40 Years Old, Over 50 Years Old

Solera: Madeira wines produced by fractional blending and the Canteiro method. A maximum 10% of a solera’s stock may be drawn off each year, and only 10 total additions may be made to each solera. Solera wines will be bottled with the starting date of the solera, but wines added to the solera may actually be older than the original wine—a solera on Madeira often served to extend the lifespan of a particular vintage, when there was little or no wine to sell in the following year. To accomplish this, producers refreshed soleras with stocks of older, rather than younger, wines.

Question 21

Name the Madeira with a Vintage Date

Answer 21

Colheita (Harvest): Colheita Madeira is produced from a single vintage (85% minimum required) and is aged for a minimum 5 years prior to bottling. It may be a blend or a single varietal wine. Colheita offers the consumer a “vintage” Madeira without the extended cask aging, complexity, or cost of a true Vintage Madeira, or Frasqueira. The word “harvest” is sometimes used in place of Colheita but producers are not allowed to use the word “vintage” on labels.

Frasqueira: Vintage Madeira aged for a minimum 20 years in cask. Frasqueira must be produced from a single “noble” variety. Since only a minimum 85% of the vintage is required, these wines are topped up with younger wines throughout the aging process. Vintage wines are produced by the Canteiro method and may be aged for additional time—sometimes decades—in glass demijohns after the period of cask aging. Frasqueira is the epitome of Madeira, and one of the world’s legendary and long-lived wines.

Vinho da Roda/Vinho da Torno/Vinho da Volta: An exceptional rarity, wines so labeled underwent an ocean journey across the equator. Shortridge Lawton, now a brand of the Madeira Wine Company, produced wines in this traditional style as late as the early 1900s.

Question 22

Alcohol levels of Madeira?

Answer 22

alcohol content ranging from at least 17,5% to 22% ABV (alcohol by volume). The exact alcohol level depends on the style, producer, and specific bottling
Dry (Seco): 17-19% ABV
Medium-Dry (Meio Seco): 17.5-20% ABV
Medium-Sweet (Meio Doce): 18-21% ABV
Sweet (Doce): 18-22% ABV

Question 23

Does Madeira produces dry wines?

Answer 23

Yes under the DOP Madeirense and IG Terras Madeirenses

Question 24

Grapes destined for Madeira production must be harvested with a minimum potential alcohol of?

Answer 24

9%

Question 25

Barrel size is normally?

Answer 25

400-700L

Question 26

Name the top producer in Madeira

Answer 26

Blandy’s