Dec 18 2009
Madeira and another famous Portugal wines
Portugal is a very rich wine country due to its climate and thousand years of wine making traditions. In the previous column we were talking about Port, the most famous wine between red wines in this country. This time we will discover the most famous wine between white Portugal wines which is called Madeira. And also we will talk about Table Portugal wines variety.
Madeira got its name from the island on which they produced it. Portugal people use for madeira wine the same technology they use for Port wine. But of cause there is a difference between these two methods because if they didn’t have it they would produce the same wines. In the beginning of the process of fermentation Portuguese intentionally over-heat Madeira wine, due to this they got caramelized flavor in it.
There is a great variety of Madeira wine types from sugary types to dry ones. Also you can find different Madeira wine types by its price, so you should be prepared that cheap Madeira wine was made from grapes which are called Tinta Negra Mole, its not bad but the best Madeira is made by the four well known kinds of grapes. If you will find Madeira wine on the label of which you can see such notes as “was made from Bual”, “was made from Malvasia”, “was made from Sercial” or “was made from Verdelho”, than be sure it is the best Madeira wine you can see in Portugal.
Also Madeira differs by amount of years they store it. Portuguese store Madeira wine in oak barrels from 5 to 15 years. Then madeira wine company labels wine which they aged for 5 year as “Reserve”, wine which they aged for 10 years as “Special Reserve” and wine which they aged for 15 years “Exceptional Reserve”. Another kind of Madeira wine you have a chance to see is “Vintage Madeira” like Vintage Port this type of wine people of Portugal made from grapes that was grown in “special” years. These “special” years they call “vintage” years and these years are different from other ones by good harvest of grapes.
By the opinion of noble wine experts Portugal is full of surprises that it can show to the world in the future. Because in this country there are a lot of table wines, that are very good but not so outstanding as Madeira and Port.
For example in the south of Portugal are located such wine regions as Ribatejo and Alentejo, these wine areas are worth of your attention due to their red and white table wines, also they have miscellaneous types of them from soft to dry types.
Such wine region as Bairrada is specified on the producing of red table wines. Their reds have unusual taste because of adding blackberry and raspberry.
Another area you ought to know is Douro. In the past this region was Port producing one but now it is a region of sweet table wines that are based on some elements of Port technology.
If you will meet wine called “Vinho Verde” you should know that it is a table one and it is also a region were it was made. From Portugal language “verde” is translated as “green”, green means that this wine kind is young and it wasn’t made for sale. The best “Vinho Verde” types have amazing bouquet with some lemon flavor.
