Madeira Masterclass

Madeira is a fantastic place to visit, it is warm (but often wet) all year round and its interior has amazing mountainous scenery (it was short-listed as a location to film Jurassic Park).  It's climate is far from ideal for growing grapes (bananas also grow here!), but a combination of volcanic soils and a totally unique production method produce something very special.

There was a time when a glass of Madeira was widely available in restaurants and even pubs throughout England, but those days are long gone.  Madeira wine is now produced in very small quantities, and most of that is entry-level wines or used for cooking.

This is a great shame as Madeira deserves its place alongside Port and Sherry as a world-class fortified wine, and has a very strong British connection.

Madeira wine, with its rich, complex flavors and history, is a great choice to enjoy during the Christmas season. Its characteristic acidity and nutty, dried fruit notes make it a wonderful complement to Christmas pudding, mince pies, and other festive desserts. Wine publications say the stewed fruit and burnt sugar notes, often reminiscent of Christmas cake, are particularly appealing.

Join us as we sample six different Madeira wines from different grape varieties and sweetness levels, all having been through the unique "Madeiraization " of heat treatment and deliberate oxidisation, mimicking the historical conditions of barrels of wine sailing through the tropics to the other side of the world.

Our six Madeiras will include a 3-year old, made from Tinta Negro, these days this is by far the most common style of Madeira.

We will then sample 10-year old wines made from each of the four "noble" Madeira grape varieties in ascending order of sweetness:

• Sercial - Produces the driest style of Madeira, with high acidity and notes of citrus and almonds. 
• Verdelho - Yields a medium-dry Madeira, with a richer, golden color and nutty, caramel notes. 
• Bual - Known for medium-sweet Madeira, with a dark golden color and a smooth, velvety texture, often with caramel and nutty flavors. 
• Malvasia (Malmsey) - Produces the sweetest style of Madeira, known for its luscious, honeyed flavors and aromas. 

Finally, we will finish with a rare "Colheita" single vintage Madeira of at least 15-years old.

This is the first time we have run an event for Madeira, and fits in between our Sherry and Port tastings in November and December.

Some suitable snacks will be provided to help the wine along.