October 10, 2022
New York, NY: On Monday, Oct 3, hundreds of Madeira wine lovers gathered at City Winery for the Madeira Wine Experience New York, a wine and food event celebrating the diversity and versatility of Madeira wine.
The Madeira Wine Experience New York featured a walk-around tasting with food and wine stations and seminars for members of the industry during the day, followed by a ticketed event open to the public from 6-8PM that evening, featuring a walk-around tasting with wine, food and cocktail stations and educational speed tastings.
Seminars for the industry included ‘Pairing Madeira Wine with Food’ and ‘Colheitas and Frasqueiras’ presented by sommelier and Portuguese wine ambassador, Bruno Almeida and ‘Madeira and Cocktails’ presented by award-winning bartender, mixologist and philanthropist, Lynnette Marrero.
“This spectacular island has been producing stellar long-lived wines since the arrival of the first settlers in 1419,” stated Bruno Almeida. “The warm Gulf stream winds, balance of temperatures and its gentle volcanic soils high in acidity, makes conditions perfect for the uniqueness of Madeira wines.
“Bartenders love working with unique spirits and modifiers,” said Lynette Marrero. “Madeira is a classic ingredient being rediscovered by bartenders. In my class I show the history of Madeira cocktails and how to incorporate them into modern serves,” she continued. “With the booming trend of low proof cocktails, Madeira is poised for a strong comeback as other fortified wines have enjoyed with the cocktail re-emergence.”
Dozens of Madeira wines ranging from dry to sweet styles in both non-vintage blends and as single vintage wines were served by the attending producers: Blandy’s Madeira, Cossart Gordon, Miles Madeira, H.M. Borges, Henriques & Henriques Vinhos, Justino’s-Madeira Wines, Pereira D’Oliveira and Vinhos Barbeito.
Industry guests particularly enjoyed discovering the various styles of Madeira paired with a variety of menus at the ‘Pairing Madeira with Food’ seminar:
- H.M. Borges 15 year old Sercial with Steak Tartare
A highlight of the evening experience was the opportunity for attendees to sample delicious traditional cocktails created with Madeira:
Madeira Negroni
- 1 oz (30 ml) Miles Rainwater Medium Dry Madeira
- 1 oz (30 ml) Campari
- 1 oz (30 ml) H.M. Borges Dry 5 year old Madeira
Place ingredients into a mixing glass with ice, stir to chill. Stain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with an Orange slice.
Although barely a cocktail, a Madeira on the rocks is said to be a way that Madeira wine is occasionally enjoyed on the island. Either way, it’s a wonderfully mellow yet refreshing beverage.
About Madeira Wine
Madeira Wine is a fortified wine available in a range of dry to sweet styles that comes from the Island of Madeira in Portugal. The tiny viticultural region (approximately 500 hectares) with the Designation of Origin “Madeira” (DO Madeira), is a unique landscape characterized by very steep slopes and mostly basaltic soils volcanic in origin. The proximity to the sea and the climate, with hot and humid summers and mild winters provide the wines with unique characteristics and a singular winemaking and aging process.
Dry styles of Madeira are served chilled and sweeter styles are often served as after-dinner-sippers. These wines are made as both non-vintage blends and single vintage wines that can age for centuries.
Of all the accredited and recommended varieties, those that are used most and that have the longest tradition in Madeira winemaking are the Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, Malvasia, Terrantez and Tinta Negra varieties.
Madeira Wine has a set of designations that allow the identification of its different varieties. Indication of age: 5 years old – Reserve (or Old); 10 years old – Old Reserve (or Special Reserve or Very Old) 15 years old – Extra Reserve; 20, 30, 40, 50 and over 50 years old. Frasqueira or Garrafeira – with the indication of vintage year and a minimum aging of 20 years in wood. Colheita – with the indication of vintage year and a minimum aging of 5 years.
Madeira Wines also receive designation in accordance with their degree of sweetness as follows: Dry, Medium Dry, Medium Sweet, and Sweet.
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