Madeirense

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The altitude and aspect of individual plots give rise to the formation of microclimates that strongly shape the production of the PDO wine 'Madeirense'.
• Diurnal temperature ranges are low throughout the entire growing cycle, and temperatures during ripening are generally mild, requiring a more extended maturation period.

• The viticultural landscape is defined by the 'poios', terraces built to counter the steepness of the hillsides and allow the agricultural use of the land.
• A pattern has emerged in the placement of authorised varieties, with a preference for plots at lower elevations and with better sun exposure, reflecting the experience gained over the past two decades.
• The small size of the plots and the rugged topography make mechanisation almost universally impractical, so harvesting, pruning, and other vineyard operations are carried out mainly by hand.

• The predominantly basalt-derived soils with low pH yield musts and wines with high acidity, an attribute that distinctively characterises 'Madeirense' wine and gives it its well-known freshness.
• This characteristic of high acidity and freshness is most pronounced in the white and rosé wines produced under this appellation.

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-A0039
• Official trade body site — Instituto do Vinho, do Bordado e do Artesanato da Madeira