As one of the Speakers, Rui Falcao had talked about Madeira wines last year at the maiden edition of ‘MUST Influencing Ideas’ Conference where we could also taste a few labels presented at their stand in ‘The Living Room’. We were ready to hit the island thanks to an invitation by TAP airlines to a select group of 22 Speakers and journalists at the Conference this year for a truly flying visit with a stop-over for a night that made every first- timer fall in love with the island and the wine.
Madeira-the misunderstood wine
Madeira is very misunderstood wine. It is also one of the most exquisite islands in Portugal and indeed, Europe. A select group was invited by TAP Airline to the island after the MUST 2018 Conference 2018 and taste the wines- fortified and non-fortified table wines.
Madeira is a unique wine with no expiry date, travels well and is a great match with Asian food but hasn’t got the attention it deserves. It has no storage problems and doesn’t spoil even after keeping the opened bottle for 2 years and can be possibly enjoyed with Indian food. By European laws, it must be produced in the Madeira, about 1000 kms and 70 minutes from Lisbon, using local grapes. Convenient packages are also available from London and Paris etc.
Growing grapes in Madeira
Located in Southwest of Portugal, it has sub-tropical climate. Summer temperatures average 20-22°C; and in winter it is down to 17-19°C only. It’s a struggle to ripen the grapes. Fog is very common and is a challenge to ripen. In winters, there is no dormancy. It’s warm temperature and humidity are also a problem. But they do have one thing they need- acidity. No second fermentation but fortifying and maturing again- which is the key. When you pick the grapes, the potential alcohol would vary from 8- 8.5% and sometimes even 9%. Natural grape spirit of 96% strength is added. Estufagem, is a unique method of aging the wine through boiling and cooling the wine for about 3 months many times.
Grapes in Madeira
There are five basic grape varieties that are used in making Madeira wines- Sercial- dry, Verdelho,- med dry, Boal (Bual)- medium sweet, Malvasia (Malmsey)- sweet and Tinta Negra (flexible sweetness). First four varieties are sometimes called noble varieties. Locals are not happy to call them as such since Tinta Negra red is 85% of the total acreage.
Other grape varieties are Terrantez (white), Bastardo (red with low yields), Malvasia Candid, Listão (Porto Santo) and Complexa (red) though many producers have been using it earlier but are now being pulled out and new varieties are being planted.
Muscatel (Muscat) is a very special grape grown on only 0.5 hA area, but some of the best Madeira is from these grapes. The acidity is so sharp that it stays for over 3 minutes on the palate! Acidity is not due to unripe grapes but the soil which is volcanic and acidic.
‘Many great varieties are being grown in the nursery of Madeira Wine Institute. It is not known how they will affect the ageing process though’. But grapes are very expensive in Madeira. Priced much higher than €1, makes the growers very happy but the job of wineries becomes very difficult.
Wineries and harvest
It takes decades before you might recuperate your investment. No wonder there are only 8 wineries in the whole of Madeira. In the last 50 or 60 years only one new winery came up a few years ago. Total area under vines is 444 hA. Only 2 wineries have their own vineyards- one is 10 hA and the other around 2 hA. Basically, 2043 growers own the land with 0.2 hA as the average size. Many are much smaller. In fact the smallest grower has ONLY two vines! Personal relationships are thus really important in Madeira.
It was banned earlier to mention the grape varieties on the label. Madeira should be single grape varietal. EU says 85% of the variety may be used to call it a varietal. However, some wineries are working towards blending. In those cases Tinta Negra is easier and in fact, used in these blends. Blending is a tricky question due to different sweetness. There is no mention of residual sugar, but the Sercial dry varietal could have 35-40 gms./L of residual sugar but the high acidity masks it.
Madeira is the most flexible wine. It is also a misunderstood wine as people think it is a sweet wine. Depending on the grapes and the style, it can be sweet or dry. It’s a great match with slightly spicy Asian foods. Some growers are trying to grow grapes organically; there is at least one winery which is already doing so. However, this is tricky due to humidity and warmth.
Visiting Madeira
One of the objectives to visit Madeira for a one-night trip was to taste wines on the ground and at the cruising altitude to compare the flavour-it is an established fact that wines taste differently at high altitudes, partially due to the cabin pressure and partially due to sound of the aircraft. So looking forward to the comparison, this was alas shelved as the flight was cancelled and we had to take an early-pre-tasting time flight. Hopefully, this will happen next time!
I was told that landing at Madeira is a bit tricky due to tight airstrip and gushing winds. We were so busy looking out at the beautiful view that I did not notice any such thing, if at all. All I could see was a slightly hilly area on one side and sea on the other. The ride to Funchal, the Capital if we may call it, about 20 kms away, was a nice reminder that it was still a beautiful island.
On our way to Blandy’s Wine lodge, we were given the history of the island which celebrates its 600 years of discovery. It was interesting to find out that though it is known for Madeira that is the second highest earner- tourism being the top earner. Bananas come on the third spot. For a population of barely 250,000, what impresses you most is that there are too many houses-even though they add to the beauty of landscape. It turns out the 3 million visitors require a lot many more hotel/home stay rooms.
Visit to Blandy’s
Blandy’s Wine Lodge in Funchal was the first stop. Madeira Wine Company is a family owned company since 2011. The Lodge is a part of the company where visitors can conveniently visit to learn about their products, process and taste their wines. It is like a museum with storage and tasting facilities along with a shop. They have regular guided tours that are interesting for novices and experts alike. It was quite fascinating to see Madeira ageing in different sizes of barrels.
We tasted 10-Year Sercial,, Verdelho, Bual, Malmsey (my favourite) and a 2000 Verdelho for comparison. The last one a 1968 Sercial was simply marvellous, not only because it was a 50-year old beauty but matured very well, very complex wine that had to be downed.
Drive to the North-Sao Vicente
The short time we had, allowed us only to drive to the North of the island, cutting right through it and one could well see how it was completed wooded with forest land 600 years ago when it was discovered. You don’t see much of the sea but beautiful mountains, small winding roads and lots of national parks and forests as you climb to the highest point with several cute villages on the way.
Quinta do Barbusano
We drove to the northern end from where the sea is visible again but did not drive on the periphery as in the South. Perhaps next time- yes, the island requires a few visits to enjoy it fully. Stopping over at a few spots on the way to the winery Quinta do Barbusano, a relatively new winery that specialises in making still wines and the wines we tasted before a delicious lunch made of local dishes and meat grilled by the owner himself. The seemingly leisurely experience that included with those wines. This was simply an unforgettable experience of the warm hospitality.
Hotel The Vine
Time flies even when you are relaxing. We had to cancel the program for slides tobogganing style as it was already late and we had to check into the hotel. A word about this beautiful property, seemingly lost in the shopping mall where one can get lost even to check-in. It is a very deluxe hotel with chick, modern luxury rooms with all the amenities including an open tub from which you can get a beautiful view of the sea and the old Madeiran architecture outside. The terrace restaurant on top is perhaps one of the best spots for the panorama all around and a drink after which we were served a delicious meal followed by fireworks which are another signature event of the year –the New Year Eve event is so special that many cruise ships make a bee-line to be here on that day. Fortunately, every Saturday ij June, there is a min-version which was quite spectacular.
The trip was planned by TAP Airlines and Portuguese Tourism who both deserve our thanks and gratitude. One wishes one stayed back for a week and scouted around the island to discover so many gems it has. Perhaps, next year or the next opportunity, I get. The island has whetted my appetite and it is back on the bucket list again- but for a longer period this time.
Madeira in India
India used to be a niche market for Madeira decades ago but for the last several years, the sales have dried out with very low demand and high label registration costs, it’s not practical to import small quantities. There is no known importer bringing it. This is an interesting paradox considering it can be stored for an indefinite period and is a very rugged wine to travel and store the open bottle. It could also match Indian food well.
Madeira Day
“Dia da Madeira” (Madeira day) is celebrated on the 1st of July, the date when Portugal granted Madeira its autonomy back in 1976.
Subhash Arora