Madeira

More info about Madeira wine: Just like Port (Porto) Madeira is a wine that has been fortified (with alcohol). Originally Madeira was named after the grape from which it was produced. Every grape variety possesses its own specific characteristic flavour: Sercial (dry), Verdelho (semi-dry), Boal/Bual (semi-sweet) and Malvasia/Malvazia/Malmsey (sweet). Today, most Madeira is produced from a single grape variety (Tinta Negra, a variant of Pinot Noir) and a (regulated) naming based on the type of flavour: dry up to and including sweet (Portuguese: seco, meio seco, meio doce & doce). The Sercial is traditionally drunk as an aperitif or served with soup or fish. Verdelho is drunk as an aperitif and also served as a dessert wine. The semi-sweet Boal/Bual is sublime accompanied by English Stilton (or other blue cheese). The full, sweet Malmsey is excellent served with rich desserts and even with coffee. In addition to being classified based on the type of taste, Madeira is also classified according to age: Reserve (5y), Special Reserve (10y), Extra Reserve (+15y), Colheita or Vintage / Frasqueira (+20y). Madeira is the longest-lasting wine in the world. The possible mention of 'Solera' on the bottle means that wines from different harvest years have been mixed together (as in Sherry). Even an opened bottle of Madeira will usually stay good for months. The wine has already been deliberately oxidised. Naturally you should not confuse our Madeira wine with the cheap Madeira varieties (often even seasoned with salt or pepper) from the supermarket that are used for cooking.