Madeira

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The soils are predominantly of basaltic origin with low pH, which gives rise to musts and wines with high acidity.
• Diurnal temperature ranges are low throughout the entire growing cycle, and temperatures during ripening are generally mild.
• The altitude and aspect of individual plots give rise to the formation of microclimates that strongly influence the production of the grapes from which Madeira is made.

• The viticultural landscape is defined by poios, terraces built to counter the steep gradients of the hillsides and make them suitable for agricultural use.
• The small size of the plots, combined with the rugged topography of the land, makes mechanisation almost universally impractical.
• The first grape varieties used for Madeira wine were introduced by order of Infante D. Henrique and imported from Candia, the capital of Crete, in Greece. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• The vine-training systems most widely used for the production of Madeira are the latada (pergola), the espalier, and the vinha no chão (ground-trained vine).

• Madeira is classified in the category of liqueur wines, with special characteristics resulting from the combination of grape varieties, soil, climate, and a production process based on fortification and ageing.
• There is great diversity among the wines in terms of production process (canteiro or estufagem), ageing period, sweetness level, and age, reflected in the traditional terms used on the label.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the specification (caderno de especificações).

All appellations in Portugal

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-PT-A0038
• Official trade body site — Instituto do Vinho, do Bordado e do Artesanato da Madeira