Flagman's Madeira

Madeira is a golden-brown fortified wine from the Portuguese Atlantic island of Madeira, which has been renowned for its wines for centuries. Many ships traveling from Europe to India called at the port of Funchal, carrying barrels of wine that, interestingly, tasted better after the voyage through the tropics. To achieve a comparable aging process, trading houses developed so-called "estufas," rooms or tanks where the wine was heated, thus initiating a similar maturation process. The vineyards are terraced on steep slopes of volcanic soil. After harvesting and pressing the grapes, approximately 4-5% alcohol is added to the must—as with other famous fortified wines—to stop fermentation and achieve a specific level of sweetness. The wine acquires its characteristic caramel aroma through several months of aging at around 50 degrees Celsius. Madeiras range from very dry to very sweet, and with proper storage (not too warm, no direct sunlight, ideally protected from light – this applies to all wines and most alcoholic beverages) their aging potential is almost unlimited. They are indispensable in fine cuisine. They are also a relatively unknown insider tip as an aperitif in Germany.