What delicious yet versatile wines pair beautifully with autumn delights such as aged cheeses, roasted chestnuts, dried fruit, spice cakes and chocolates?
Madeira, an underappreciated fortified wine, probably did not come to mind. But by sipping Madeira, we become of part of a long, storied American tradition.
Madeira wines hail from steep volcanic slopes on subtropical islands of the same name lying in the Atlantic Ocean, about 400 miles west of the African nation of Morocco. The islands’ wines reached their zenith in popularity in the late 1700s and early 1800s with robust sales in England, Russia and America, where it accounted for 70% of imports.
Thomas Jefferson toasted the signing of the Declaration of Independence with Madeira. George Washington, Ben Franklin and John Adams also sang the wine’s praises. Americans enjoyed the classic Madeira style featuring a pleasant, mildly oxidized nose leading to rich, slightly sweet flavors balanced by tangy refreshing notes and a lingering, complex finish.
But the fates did not smile on Madeira wines by the end of the 19th century and during the early 20th century. The vine insect pest phylloxera nearly wiped out the island vineyards, and American Prohibition undermined the wines’ primary market. A precipitous decline ensued.
Blandy's Leads A Renaissance
In recent decades, however, Blandy’s, a leading Madeira producer since 1811, has led efforts to replant Madeira’s classic grapes varieties. The company invested in traditional winemaking while following the patient, aging techniques required to produce high-quality Madeira wines.
Chris Blandy, the seventh generation of family leadership, serves as CEO. Re-establishing Madeira’s reputation as one the world’s great wines remains the prime goal.
“Our family has interests in hotels, media, real estate, travel and shipping in Portugal, Brazil and elsewhere,” Blandy says. “But Madeira wines remain an extremely important emotional part of our group and the backbone of our business.”
Collaborating closely with the Symington family of Portugal, Blandy works to expand worldwide distribution while communicating Madeira’s enduring story. He and his winemaking team also exercise direct involvement in buying grapes from more than 500 independent Madeira grape growers to produce classic wines.
Each year, after carefully sorting the harvested grapes, fermentation occurs in stainless-steel tanks with natural yeasts. After fortifying the wines with natural grape spirits to raise alcohol levels to around 19%, Madeira’s trademark style emerges through the traditional “canteiro” process.
“The wines age in American oak barrels left in our wine lodges at high temperatures for five, 10, 15 and even 80 years,” Blandy says. “We still have wines aging in barrels since 1920.”
Slow evaporation develops tantalizing concentration as the wines remain in barrels. The islands’ terroir provides the key to Madeira wines’ capacity to improve during heating.
“All the wines have refreshing underlying acidity that comes from the soils and climate around our island terroir,” Blandy says.
Try the following delicious wines, which can be kept indefinitely after opening until the bottle is finished, throughout fall and winter:
Blandy’s 10-year-old, Bual Madeira, Portugal (Average U.S. Price for 500 ml. on Wine Searcher: $49; $37.99 for 500 ml in Pennsylvania: PLCB No. 28221) is made from Bual grapes grown on steep, terraced hillside vineyards. The wine’s amber color unfolds caramel, vanilla, and brown spice aromas. Rich flavors of butterscotch and figs balance with fresh citrus notes leading to Madeira’s classic off-dry yet tangy finish.
Blandy’s 10-year-old Malmsey Madeira, Portugal (Average U.S. Price for 500 ml. on Wine Searcher: $49; $37.99 for 500 ml. in Pennsylvania; PLCB No. 28690) comes from Malmsey grapes with the wines aging on average for 10 years in barrel. The dark amber color offers heady aromas of dried apricot and brown spice aromas leading to rich flavors of brown spices, orange marmalade, and figs. Zesty, tangy acidity balances the wine’s pleasant sweetness through the refreshing, lovely finish.
Cheers!