Madeira Flashcards
The fortified wines of Madeira, a subtropical island rising sharply from the Atlantic nearly 625 miles off the coast of ______, are among the longest-lived wines in the world.
Portugal-Madeira originally developed distinctive character on lengthy ocean voyages through the tropics, wines would be subjected to repeated heating/cooling. Torna Viagem(“round trip”) is approximated today by heating the wine during the production process.
The _____(“round trip”) is approximated today by _______. When coupled with lengthy cask aging, resulting wine is nearly indestructible—the ravages of heat and air are embraced, as they impart Madeira’s distinctive character!
torna viagem-heating the wine during the production process
Madeira DOP wines may be produced on Madeira, or on neighboring Porto Santo-only other inhabited isle in Madeira archipelago. On Madeira, walls of basalt stone sustain terraces known as ______?
poios-they ring the island’s perimeter like steps on the nearly vertical mountainside, and support viticulture on the vertiginous incline.
Most of the vineyards are trained in a _____, with vines suspended on low trellises known as latadas, in order to combat the dangers of fungal disease in the damp subtropical environment.
pergola system
Vinhos Justino Henriques is the largest company today in Madeira, and is responsible for half of the island’s exports. True or False
True
____, who store wine and sell it at maturity to other traders for a profit, make up the third category. Partidistas are similar to the almacenistas of the Sherry trade.
Partidistas
Production companies make the wine-based in Funchal, Madeira’s capital. Currently, (8) production companies registered with IVBAM, but only (6) actively export wine.Vinhos Justino Henriques-largest company today in Madeira, is responsible for half of the island’s exports. Name 6 other companies.
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)
Name (5) principal noble white grapes of Madeira? (4) grapes account for only a small minority of total production on island. _____grape is the island’s workhorse, accounting for 85% of the total production.
Sercial (Esgana Cão)
Verdelho (Gouveio)
Boal (Bual, Malvasia Fina)
Malmsey (originally Malvasia Candida, now more commonly Malvasia Branca de São Jorge)
TINTA NEGRA (formerly called Tinta Negra Mole)-WORKHORSE
The DOP prohibits using the name of the variety on labels. If another variety is included on the label, the wine must contain a minimum __% of the stated grape if the wine is a multi-vintage blend, or 100% of the stated variety if a vintage is indicated.
85%
The varietal wines, in order from sweetest to driest, are as follows:
Malvasia (Malmsey)-3.5 and 6.5° Baumé, rich-caramel
Boal- 2.5 to 3.5° Baumé, dark colour, raisin flavours
Verdelho-1.5 and 2.5° Baumé, smokey notes/high acidity
Sercial—fermented completely dry, almond flavours/high acidity (0.5 to 1.5° on the Baumé scale)
After fortification, the young wine is then subjected to either the Estufagem or Canteiro process, which is what?
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 heated to a temperature of 45-50° C (113-122°F) for at least three months
“Canteiro” (this denomination comes from the fact that casks are placed on wooden support beams called (“canteiros”) are aged in casks, usually in the top floors of the wine cellars, temperature is higher, for period of 2yrs
The most common method,____ used for low cost Madeira, is bulk aging in low stainless steel or concrete tanks surrounded by either heat coils or piping that allow hot water to circulate around the container.
Cuba de Calor: 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;
Once the Estufagem process is completed, wine enters a period of rest (_____) for min___days before being transferred to cask for aging. Estufagem wines may not be released until (2yrs) 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.
estágio; 90
Only used by the Madeira Wine Company, this method_____ involves storing the wine in large wooden casks in a specially designed room outfitted with steam-producing tanks or pipes that heat the room, creating a type of sauna. This process more gently exposes the wine to heat, and can last from six months to over a year.
Armazém de Calor
Used for the highest quality Madeiras, these wines are aged without the use of any artificial heat, being stored by the winery in warm rooms left to age by the heat of the sun. In cases such as vintage Madeira, this heating process can last from 20 years to 100 years.
Canteiro: 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)
