The history of Madeira wine
When discussing the history of Madeira wine, it is often written that Madeira wines have accompanied not just many fine meals but some of the most important moments in history, particularly the signing of the declaration of Independence of the United States of America.
The History of Madeira wine, A truly historical wine
Indeed, Madeira wines have their own unique place in history, and drinking an aged Madeira wine is, as Winston Churchill once put it, is: “drinking liquid history”.
Madeira the island, its people, its wines and cuisine are something truly special to the traveller, the gourmet and the oenophile (wine enthusiast!)
While wine production can be traced back to the earliest civilizations around 6000 BC, the unique process of producing Madeira wines dates from the 17th century and was one of history’s happy accidents.
A little more history
Madeira is an island first discovered by the Portuguese navigators João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira in 1419. A statue of Zarco stands proudly in central Funchal and is a popular meeting point.
Madeira was settled rapidly by the Portuguese, with its abundant fish stocks to support the settlers whilst the heavily wooded island was cleared for agriculture. Indeed, the literal translation of Madeira means “Wood” and Funchal (the capital city) means “fennel” in Portuguese.
In the enviable climate of the cleared island agriculture and viniculture quickly took hold, and the island grew prosperous as it was especially suitable for sugar production. The vestiges of this are still visible today.
Madeira soon became an important calling off point for the growing number of ships plying the Atlantic in the 16th century onwards. Madeira can be seen by mariners from great distances due to its topography and the clouds that gather around the mountain peaks of the now extinct volcanoes that created this wonderful island.
Vinho da Roda
Mariners are well known worldwide to be “thirsty” individuals, and as well as food stuffs wine was an important part of any voyage’s victuals. The desire for “alcohol” was not however the principal reason for taking barrels of wine from Madeira on a voyage, but the fact that wine will keep in barrels far longer than water will.
This export trade led to the happy discovery that Madeira wine travelled exceptionally well.
Madeira has been exported ever since but is now only ever aged in barrels on the island, no longer at sea.
It became noted that the quality of the wine much improved on the voyages, especially those through warmer climes. Contemporary thought was unclear what caused the improvements to the quality of the wine, the heating by the sun or the agitation of the wine caused by the rocking motion of the sea were the two principal theories. Indeed it was discovered that the gentle heating of the wines in the sun gave Madeira wine its wonderful flavours, not the rocking of the vessels at sea. Madeira wines are now gently heated with loving care by the producers to make this wonderful wine.
To achieve this “maderisation” of the wine, its gentle warming, barrels of Madeira were carried as ballast in many ships, giving rise to the concept of Vinho da Roda: wine of the round trip.
Rainwater
The creation of the Rainwater style of Madeira wine was another accident of history leading to the lighter style Madeira wine named Rainwater….a 5-year-old Madeira wine of a lighter style due to the barrels the wine was shipped in getting soaked in the rain.
Here is a wonderful British Pathe newsreel made about Madeira entitled
Island of Wine and a Garden in the Sea are two fascinating videos from the 60’s and 30’s about Madeira