Recently, I had my senses enlivened by a tasting of Madeira wines at Gary Danko’s estimable restaurant. In introducing these gems, wine guru Anthony Dias Blue quips, “Madeira wines are the most famous wines that no one has ever tasted.”
There is truth in that, so we should do the proper thing and enjoy these wines for at least three good reasons: they are delicious, reasonably priced, and our founding fathers and mothers liked Madeira. It was the wine that was used to toast to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. (FYI—John Hancock was the importer of Madeira, so there it is.) History is on your side.
To start our Madeira journey, best to begin at the beginning. These wines come from the Island of Madeira, about five hundred miles west of Morocco. Madeira was rediscovered by three naval captains of Henry the Navigator, of Portugal, about 1419. The island was soon colonized by Portugal; the planting of grapes there was first recorded around 1450. The wines were soon good enough to be exported. In 1478, George, the First Duke of Clarence, was—according to legend—drowned in a barrel of Malmsey, a sweet Madeira wine, which proves that Madeira was both a royal drink and a royal dunk.
The Madeira wine industry grew in bounds when British merchants living on the island began exporting Madeira to the colonies, around 1570.
How Madeira came to be the wine it is happened by a serendipitous accident of shipping. In order for the wine to be shipped to faraway ports, it had to be fortified with spirits. The wine was stored in barrels in the holds of ships, which were very warm. When the wine didn’t sell, it came back to Europe; it was discovered that the wine tasted even better when it came back, a result of the ship’s rocking motion and the additional heat. The winemakers soon realized that they could avoid the expenses of round-trip shipping by creating methods to heat the wine at the source—a process called estufagem. This method can be done quickly with heated coils, while finer Madeiras are made by the canteiro method: wines are aged in barrels for two years in the top floors of the wine cellars. This method gives intense and complex aromas. Great Madeiras give off sensational perfumes.
Today, Madeira wines generally come in five styles. The driest come from the Sercial grape. Next, medium-dry from the Verdelho; medium-rich from the Bual grape; rich wines from the Malvasia variety; and medium-dry or medium-rich from the Terrantez grape.
Here are my tasting notes from the Danko event:
Vinhos Justinos Henriques Sercial, ten years old—medium bodied, dry, nutty. A crisp, bright wine with lots of acidity at the finish. A superb aperitif.
Blandy’s Sercial, ten years old—just a tad richer and sweeter, served with roast lobster and risotto. It worked!
Henriques e Henriques Verdelho, fifteen years old—the nose was delightful and warming; the wine had a caramel richness, served with roast bison and porcini mushrooms.
Blandy’s Old Malmsey, ten years old, and Broadbent Bual, 1978—these wines were rich, dark, and sweet; wonderful and concentrated essences. Great wines to sip by a fire while reading British romantic poets.
Other excellent Madeiras tasted with our wine tasting group:
Blandy’s Sercial, five years old—beautiful color, honey and melon flavors, soft and appealing with lively acidity at the finish. Bright citrus and nutty flavors.
Leacock’s Rainwater—medium-dry, light-bodied, elegant with wonderful acidity throughout.
Cossart Gordon Bual—amber color, great viscosity, fabulous taste and balance. This was the favorite of our wine tasting group. The complex flavors had us all coming back for more. The Cossart Gordon Colheita, 1997, was full of rich vanilla and orange highlights.
Blandy’s Alvada five years old—rich and complex with a deep, amber color. Lovely overtones of orange peel and honey.
Note well: foodies will just love the new movie Julie and Julia, about Julia Child and Julie Powell, who wrote a wonderful, zany book about making every recipe in Julia Child’s first cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking—a gourmet tour de force for both Julia and Julie.
Since we’re talking Julia Child, note that one of her favorite drinks was the upside down martini—simple and elegant. Take a wine glass filled with fresh ice. Pour five parts Noilly Prat French vermouth (white), and top it with one part gin. Garnish with a twist of lemon. Great with oysters. A wonderful cocktail.
Finally, for sweet, summer sipping—two sparkling wines from the house of Martini & Rossi. The traditional Asti Spumante has a lovely sweetness and elegance. I believe it is what angels drink in the summertime. New is the sparkling rosé. It’s a bit drier with just a touch of sweetness and has a lovely, lively color and a refreshing, crisp taste. Both wines would elevate any outdoor party; easy on the budget, too.
Ed Schwartzhas been involved in many aspects of fine wine for 30 years and has worked with top wineries in California, Italy and France. His writings on wine, food and travel have appeared in the SF Chronicle, LA Times and Image magazine.
