🍷 Madeira and the sea voyage
Madeira got its character by travelling in casks through the hot tropics.
Madeira and the sea voyage is the story of how a sea voyage through the tropics shaped the taste of Madeira, the fortified wine from the island of Madeira. The story of Madeira wine is tied to the sea. The island of Madeira lay on the route of ships bound for America and India. Ships took casks of wine on board, and on the way the wine went through tropical heat, rocking and air. It turned out that after such a trip the wine did not spoil but improved. It became darker, stronger and gained a special taste with notes of nuts and caramel. Such wine was even ordered "for a cruise", so that it would "ride" through the tropics and return to the island. Later this became a method. The wine began to be heated on Madeira itself, imitating the heat of a ship's hold. Heat and oxidation, that is contact with air, are at work here. That is why Madeira hardly fears an opened bottle and can keep for a very long time. The tale of the voyage explains why Madeira is unlike other wines. Wine in casks on ships is part of the island's history and its taste.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Madeira and the sea voyage → then → 🍷 Oxidation of wine → kind of → 🍷 Winemaking → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Oxidation of wine
- Part of
- 🍷 Barrels on ships
Frequently asked questions
Why is Madeira linked to sea voyages?
Because the island lay on sea routes and the wine was shipped in casks through the tropics. Heat and motion changed its taste.
What happened to the wine on the way?
It was warmed and touched air, grew darker and stronger, and gained a taste of nuts and caramel.
How is Madeira made today?
The wine is heated on the island itself, imitating the heat of a ship's hold.