Madeira

Question 1

What islands may produced Madeira DOP wine?

Answer 1

Madeira and Porto Santo

Question 2

What are poios?

Answer 2

Basalt terraces on the island of Madeira.

Question 3

Madeira has a system of canals that route rainwater down from the peak through the vineyards. What are these canals called?

Answer 3

Levadas

Question 4

What are the noble grapes of Madeira?

Answer 4

Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, Malmsey

Question 5

What is the workhorse grape of Madeira? What is its parentage?

Answer 5

Tinta Negra Mole; Pinot Noir x Grenache

Question 6

If a varietal is indicated for a multi-vintage wine, what % is required?

Answer 6

85.00%

Question 7

If a varietal is indicated for a vintage wine, what % is required?

Answer 7

100.00%

Question 8

What is the synonym for Sercial?

Answer 8

Esgana Cão

Question 9

What is the synonym for Verdelho?

Answer 9

Gouveio

Question 10

What are the synonyms for Boal?

Answer 10

Bual, Malvasia Fina

Question 11

What are the clones of Malmsey?

Answer 11

Malvasia Candida, Malvasia Branca de São Jorge

Question 12

What two noble grapes were never replanted post-phylloxera?

Answer 12

Bastardo and Terrantez

Question 13

Which varieties of Madeira are separated from their skins pre-fermentation?

Answer 13

Verdelho and Sercial

Question 14

Which varieties on Madeira are harvested first?

Answer 14

Boal and Malmsey

Question 15

What is Estufagem?

Answer 15

The process of aging Madeira via the estufa (mostly used for lower quality Madeira).

Question 16

What is the temperature in the estufa?

Answer 16

113-122ºF

Question 17

How long do wines made via estufagem age?

Answer 17

The heating process takes 3 months, and then the wines are rested for >90 days, and then transferred to cask. They are released no less than 2 years after harvest.

Question 18

What is the variant on the estufagem process, mostly used by the Madeira Wine Company?

Answer 18

Aging the wine in hot rooms at lower temperatures over a longer period of time (up to 1 year).

Question 19

What is Canteiro?

Answer 19

Aging the Madeira in the lodge attics, a longer, slower, gentler process than estufagem.

Question 20

What is the minimum aging for Canteiro?

Answer 20

3 years, including 2 in wood, but many wines age for up to 20 years or more.

Question 21

What constitutes Rainwater Madeira?

Answer 21

Usually 100% Tinta Negra, medium dry, and lighter in style. The youngest wine is >3 years old.

Question 22

What constitutes Seleccionado Madeira?

Answer 22

3-5 years old, dominated by Tinta Negra, heated in the estufagem and aged in tank. May be labeled Finest, Choice, or Select.

Question 23

How long does Reserve Madeira age?

Answer 23

5-10 years

Question 24

How long does Special Reserve Madeira age?

Answer 24

10-15 years.

Question 25

How long does Extra Reserva Madeira age?

Answer 25

15-20 years.

Question 26

What other aging designations may you see in Madeira?

Answer 26

20 years, 30 years, 40 years.

Question 27

What is Solera Madeira?

Answer 27

A mix of fractional blending and canteiro. Not legal for export, but available on the island. Max 10% may be drawn off the solera in any given year.

Question 28

Which aging designations of Madeira are typically aged via Canteiro and varietally labeled?

Answer 28

Reserve, Special Reserve, Extra Reserve, 20, 30, and 40 year wines.

Question 29

What is Colheita Madeira?

Answer 29

Single Vintage Madeira, aged 5 years before bottling.

Question 30

What % of the vintage is required for vintage Madeira?

Answer 30

85.00%

Question 31

What is Frasqueira Madeira?

Answer 31

Single Vintage Madeira, aged >20 years in cask. May be aged for additional time in glass demi-johns after the Canteiro process.

Question 32

Largest shipper of Madeira?

Answer 32

Vinhos Justino Henriques, responsible for 50% of exports

Question 33

Second largest shipper of Madeira?

Answer 33

Madeira Wine Company

Question 34

Brands of the Madeira Wine Company?

Answer 34

Blandy’s

Cossart Gordon

Leacock’s

Miles

Winelodge

Question 35

Largest independent producer of Madeira?

Answer 35

Henriques & Henriques

Question 36

What is Broadbent?

Answer 36

A Madeira trader that selects wines produced by Justino’s (think independent bottler)

Question 37

Who are the 7 exporting producers of Madeira?

Answer 37

Henriques & Henriques (1850)
Pereira d’Oliveira (1850, partidista)

Vinhos Justino Henriques (1870)
HM Borges (1877)

Madeira Wine Company (founded in 1913 as the Madeira Wine Association - title changed in 1981)

Vinhos Barbeito (1946)

Faria & Filhos (1949)


Question 38

Who produces the wines for the Rare Wine Company?

Answer 38

Barbeito

Question 39

Principal soils of Madeira?

Answer 39

Volcanic: 
Saibro (red tufa)
Cascalho (stony soil)
Pedra molle (sandy soil of decomposed yellow tufa)
Massapes (clay of decomposed dark tufa)

Question 40

Principal soils of Porto Santo?

Answer 40

volcanic, limestone