Portugal - Terras Madeirenses Flashcards

1
Q

Name the 2 DOPs of the Terras Madeireneses IGP

A

Madeira DOP

Madeirense DOP

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2
Q

What does Torna Viagem mean?

A

Literally means round trip and refers to the character gained by Madeira wines on lengthy ocean voyages throught the tropics

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3
Q

On which 2 islands may Madeira be produced?

A

Madeira and Porto Santo

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4
Q

What vine training system is common on Madeira?

A

Most of the vineyards are trained in a 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

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5
Q

What is the IVBAM?

A

The Wine, Embroidery and Handicraft Institute of Madeira (IVBAM) regulates harvesting and production methods of Madeira wines.

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6
Q

What is the capital of Madeira?

A

Funchal

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7
Q

What is the name of the largest production company in Madeira?

A

Vinhos Justino Henriques

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8
Q

Who is the largest independent producer of Madeira?

A

Henriques and Henriques

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9
Q

Explain the role of a shipping company in Madeira

A

Shipping companies trade wine, rather than make it, and are usually based in London. A shipper will select wines from a producer, who will then bottle the wine under the shipper’s brand.

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10
Q

What is the name for a company that store wine and sell it at maturity to other traders for a profit in Madeira?

A

Partidista

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11
Q

What is a Partidista in Madeira?

A

The name for a company that store wine and sell it at maturity to other traders for a profit in Madeira

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12
Q

Name the principle noble white grapes of Madeira

A

Sercial (Esgana Cão)
Verdelho (Gouveio)
Boal (Bual, Malvasia Fina)
Malmsey (originally Malvasia Candida, now more commonly Malvasia Branca de São Jorge)

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13
Q

Which grape variety accounts for nearly 85% of production in Madeira?

A

Tinta Negra

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14
Q

Name the varietal wines of Madeira in order from sweetest to driest

A

Malvasia
Boal
Verdelho
Sercial

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15
Q

What is used to fortify Madeira wines?

A

95% abv spirit imported from France

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16
Q

Does the spirit used to fortify Port or Madeira have a higher abv?

A

Madeira 95% abv as opposed to 77% for Port)

17
Q

Name the 2 modern heating methods employed in Madeira?

A

Estufagem and Canteiro

18
Q

Describe the Estufagem process in Madeira

A
  • Wines are transferred to the estufa, a stainless steel vat that warms the wine by circulating hot water through serpentine coils inside the tank.
  • 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.
19
Q

How many years after harvest must Estufagem wines wait before being released?

A

2 years

20
Q

What is estagio in the Madeira wine making process?

A

A period of rest of a min 90 days between the end of the estufagem process and the wines entering cask for ageing

21
Q

Describe the Canteiro method for ageing wines in Madeira

A

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

22
Q

What is the minimum age that Canteiro wines can be bottled at?

A

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

23
Q

Describe the term rainwater as it applies to a Madeira wine label

A

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

24
Q

Describe the term seleccionado as it applies to a Madeira wine label

A

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.

25
Q

Describe the term Reserve (Reserva) as it applies to a Madeira wine label

A

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

26
Q

Describe the term Special Reserve (Reserva Especial) as it applies to a Madeira wine label

A

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.

27
Q

Describe the term Extra Reserve as it applies to a Madeira wine label

A

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

28
Q

Describe the term Solera as it applies to a Madeira wine label

A

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.

29
Q

Describe the term Colheita (Harvest) as it applies to a Madeira wine label

A

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.

30
Q

Describe the term Frasqueira as it applies to a Madeira wine label

A

Vintage Madeira aged for a minimum 20 years in cask. Frasqueira, like Colheita, may be produced from a single variety or a blend. 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.

31
Q

Describe the term Vinho da Roda/Vinho da Torno/Vinho da Volta as it applies to a Madeira wine label

A

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.