What Is Madeira?
Travel Distilled explains what Madeira is, where it’s made, how it’s made, what Madeira barrels are called, and Madeira’s connections with the USA.
Where Is Madeira Made?
Madeira is made in the Madeira Islands archipelago, which is part of Portugal but situated way out in the North Atlantic Ocean some 320 miles (520 kilometres) west of Morocco. Its location meant that it was a good stopping-off point for ships on their way to the New World or, prior to the building of the Suez Canal, around the Cape of Good Hope to India and the Spice Islands in the region then known as the East Indies.
Fortifying Madeira with Brandy
Ships would stock up with barrels of Madeira wine, both for consumption on board and for trading, and initially this was simply a regular wine. It was thought that the movement of the ship improved the taste of the wine, which was much appreciated in India. However, some wine did spoil on the long journeys (from Britain to India could take three-to-four months), and the producers on Madeira began to fortify their wine with brandy, which made it last longer but also changed the taste and obviously made the wine much stronger.
What Are Madeira Barrels Called?
For transportation, Madeira was stored in larger-than-usual barrels which held 112 gallons (423 litres) and were known as pipes, though it’s unclear where the name came from. These days port barrels are called pipes and Madeira barrels are called drums, though some makers of Madeira cling to tradition and still call their barrels pipes.
Heating Madeira
It was also thought that the intense heat of India helped to give the wine the flavor that was so desirable to the people there, so back on Madeira the winemakers came up with a system that tried to replicate the heat and the sea voyage for all their Madeira wine. They began to hang their pipes from the ceiling and spin them regularly in a system they called estufagem, which means a steaming treatment, often used in cooking. The wine is also heated to between 35 and 60C (95-140F) to give it its slightly burnt taste.
Madeira and the USA
Although the process of making Madeira developed to satisfy the tastes of the Indian market, it wasn’t the only place that developed a liking for Madeira. The British took it with them to their American colonies, where it also became popular. In fact, the Boston Tea Party could easily have been the Boston Madeira Party, as a shipment of Madeira was seized in the build-up to the War of Independence for attempted evasion of taxes.
George Washington was said to enjoy a whole pint of Madeira every day, and the founding fathers celebrated signing the Declaration of Independence by drinking Madeira. It was used again to toast George Washington’s inauguration as President, and again in 1792 when the US Capitol was located in Washington DC. In 2009 Barack Obama toasted his own inauguration with Madeira wine.
So, that’s a potted summary of what Madeira is!
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