Harvesting

Madeira is a fortified wine found only on the mountainous Atlantic island of the same name.The vines are grown from sea level up to a height of 600 metres and the wines range from dry to very rich. The principal grape varieties are Malmsey, Bual, Verdelho, Sercial and Tinta Negra Mole.

The driest wines are made from the Sercial grape grown on high cool slopes mainly on the north of the Island. The sweetest Madeiras are made from the rich Malmsey grape which flourishes on the warmer lower-lying vineyards, particularly around São João on the north and Jardim do Mar on the south. The vines are grown either on pergolas (hanging off trellises that are on average 1.5 metres off the ground) or upright in rows, trained onto horizontal wires.

The harvest starts in mid-August and is completed by the middle of October when a wine festival takes place in Funchal. The grapes are all picked by hand from the small terraced vineyards situated on the steep slopes around the island and then transported to the 'adegas' -wineries- where the winemaking takes place.



Grape Varieties

The four basic types of Madeiras are each named after the grape from which they are principally made and encompass styles ranging from dry to very rich. The four white grape varieties are all aged in wood and are normally bottled when 5, 10 or 15 years old or as single year Colheitas depending on their ageing potential. The highest quality wines - Frasqueira-Vintages - are aged in wood for a minimum of 20 years and a further 2 years in bottle before being released. The versatile red Tinta Negra Mole is used to create the 3-year-old styles though it is not uncommon for this variety to also be aged in wood for longer periods.

Tinta Negra Mole - Accounts for almost 60% of all grape production on the island. It is unique in its ability to acquire the characteristics of the different varietals according to the altitude at which it is grown (grown at a higher level it produces a drier wine whilst at a lower level a sweeter wine is produced), therefore becoming a most useful basis for blends.
 
Sercial, Dry - Located on the south of the island at Camara de Lobos at an altitude between 600-700 metres and on the north side at Porto Moniz and Seixal at 150-200 metres.
Sugar content: 11º
Residual Sugar: 0.5 - 1.5º Baumé
Grapes picked late-on in the harvest.
Pale, light-bodied and dry, this is a fresh invigorating wine.
 
Verdelho, Medium Dry - Grown on the north of the island at Ponta Delgada & São Vincente at an altitude up to 400 metres.
This grape variety is suited to harsher climatic conditions.
Sugar content: 11º-12º
Residual Sugar: 1.5 - 2.5º Baumé
Grapes picked during middle of harvest.
Golden in colour, this has marginally more body than the Sercial, and is a tangy fine textured wine.
 
Bual, Medium Rich - Located on the south side of the island, mainly at Campanário & Calheta at fairly low altitude (100-300 metres).
Sugar content: 11º-13º
Residual Sugar: 2.5 - 3.5º Baumé
Picked early on during the harvest.
Medium to dark, full-bodied and fruity with a well rounded flavour and attractive ‘smoky’ complexity.
 
Malmsey, Rich - Almost grown exclusively on the south side of the island around Jardim do Mar at an altitude between 150-200 metres.
Sugar content: 12º-14º
Residual Sugar: 3.5 - 6.2º Baumé
Malmsey is the first variety to be harvested.
Medium dark to dark, a luscious rich soft-textured wine, distinctly full honeyed and mellow.


Grape Locations

The following chart gives an indication of the location of the various grape varieties that are used in the production of Madeira Wine.


Print Chart


Old wine map indicating grape locations

Print Map (112Kbytes)


Vinification

The Madeira Wine Company uses the most modern wine making technology whilst at the same time respecting the age-old traditions of Madeira wine. At the 'adega' the wines are selected and pressed to separate the must from the skins. Fermentation takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks and is stopped with the addition of grape brandy when the appropriate amount of natural grape sugar has been converted into natural alcohol. Malmsey is fortified early on in order to retain the richness for which it is renowned. Bual is fortified after approximately half the sugars have been converted into alcohol, Verdelho ferments still further whilst Sercial is allowed to ferment out until completely dry. All the wines are fortified up to 19% alcohol by volume.

Receiving and weighing the grapes Auto-vinification tanks Wine blending

The MWC winery was completely modernised in 2001/2002 and is now the most advanced wine making facility on the island and is the largest investment ever made in Madeira wine production. In 2001 it became the only wine producer and merchant on the island to have been awarded the ISO 9002 European Standard Quality Certificate.

The next stage in Madeira's production is unique to the island and involves then heating of the wines for some months following the vintage, known as ESTUFAGEM. During the 18th century many of the ships which took on casks of Madeira passed through the heat of the tropics. It was noticed that the effects of the increased temperature on the casks of the fortified wine was entirely beneficial. Indeed the wines acquired remarkable keeping qualities, extraordinary longevity and an attractive mellowed character.

Before long, ships were taking consignments of Madeira on round trips especially to subject the wines to this tropical heat. This heating of the wine, known as'estufagem', became a recognised process in Madeira's preparation and when it became too expensive to use ships an alternative method was found.This involved ageing the wines in large lofts naturally heated by the plentiful Madeiran sunlight. Today all the MWC's premium wines continue to be aged using this, the traditional 'canteiro' system, where the wines are warmed over a period of years in seasoned American oak casks by the natural heat of the sun in the lodges of Funchal. A development of this system was later introduced for the ageing of Tinta Negra Mole with the construction of special heating rooms called 'estufas' lined with hot water pipes in order to keep the temperature at a constant level (45ºC for a minimum of 3 months).A significant quantity of Tinta Negra Mole is also aged using the traditional canteiro method.



Brazilian Satinwood vats