Madeira is a miracle of a wine. It breaks all the wine world rules and somehow still gives us one of the most exquisite treats in the whole world of gastronomy.
Madeira is a miracle of a wine. It breaks all the wine world rules and somehow still gives us one of the most exquisite treats in the whole world of gastronomy.
First of all, Madeira comes from too far south, from the island of the same name off the coast of Africa. But high altitudes and ocean breezes make for ripe grapes full of flavor but also acidity. And then there's temperature control, which in normal winemaking means "doing my best to keep everything cool so the fruit doesn't cook." But in Madeira they age the wine in attics that hit the temperatures you'd expect a tropical attic to hit.
Exposure to heat and oxygen doesn't ruin the wine; it transmutes it into something unique and magical. It becomes wildly complex, as fruit flavors are transformed from cool and fresh to deep, dark and caramelized. Madeira runs the gamut from very dry to very sweet.
Those attics also make the wine all but indestructible, like a vaccine against oxidation after you open the bottle. You can open a bottle with dinner tonight, have a glass or two, and then come back to it weeks (or even months) later and it will be just as good as when you opened it. So not only is this a treat, it's a treat you can enjoy at your leisure.
