Port versus Madeira

Which country makes the two very best fortified wines ever? Right, Portugal! We are, of course, talking about madeira and port. But what is the difference and what are the similarities between the two? And what does the label actually say? Because that is often not entirely clear.
Text: Chateau Petri | Image: Unsplash

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PORT AND MADEIRA?

It's actually quite easy: port and madeira are both fortified wines that are fantastically balanced with their acids and sugars. They have also been made for hundreds of years by family-run wineries that stick firmly to their own house style. Otherwise, they are completely different in terms of grape varieties, soil and vinification, and come from the mainland and an island respectively.

MADEIRA MY DEAR?

WINELIFE headed to the mountain island of the same name. It is known for producing bananas and sugar cane, but viticulture is most important there. The two largest growing areas are Estreito de Câmara de Lobos in the south and São Vicente in the north. Otherwise, you will find vineyards all along the coast. A total of 408 hectares (together with neighbouring island Porto Santo) are planted with 20 grape varieties, including tinta negra (80 per cent of plantings) malvasia, verdelho, boal, sercial and terrantez.

Each grape variety has its own preference when it comes to how high the best planting is. Malvasia, for example, thrives best up to a maximum altitude of 300 metres. The upper limit in terms of planting is 900 metres above sea level. All grapes are picked by hand. This cannot be otherwise because the grapes grow on steep mountain slopes where terraces have been carved out. The gradient of about 16 to 25 degrees makes it impossible to work with machines.

COOL-CLIMATE MADEIRA

The grapes grow on so-called latadas, pergolas at a height of 1.5 metres. The vindima (= harvest) starts in August with the malvasia, and ends with the terrantez around mid-October. All wines (dry and fortified) have high acidity. This is mainly caused by the climate, as it is fairly cool all year round. Not surprising considering that the island is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. There is also little difference between daytime and night-time temperatures. If you add to this the influence of the mountains and the volcanic, mineral soil, freshness in the wines is a logical consequence.

PORT VERSUS MADEIRA

Port, that other fortified wine originating from Portugal, is much better known than madeira. It is made in the Douro Valley in the north of the country. Here, the combination of the schist soil and the region's warm, dry climate creates powerful, concentrated grapes. Port is always a blend of two or more grape varieties, for example touriga nacional, tinta roriz (= tempranillo), tinta barroca, tinto cão and touriga franca. These are the best known, but many more are allowed. For example, have you ever heard of the sousão? After harvesting, the wine is fortified with aguardente (grape brandy) during the fermentation process until the alcohol content is around 19-21%. This stops fermentation and leaves residual sugars in the wine. Hence its sweet taste. This process is the same with madeira.

THE DIFFERENCE IS IN THE MATURATION.

One of the major differences between port and madeira is the temperature during maturation. With port, this is done in cool dark cellars, while madeira needs heat to get its unique flavour. You get the best quality madeira when it is made using the Canteiro method. Barrels of wine are stored in attics, where the temperature averages 30 degrees. The new wine comes to the warmest place, i.e. on top of the row of barrels on the southernmost side of the site. As maturation progresses - this is a process of years - the barrels shift to the bottom on the cooler north side. For more commercial producers, this process takes too long. They use a faster method, which takes at least 3 months to 1 year. Then the wine matures in estufagem, large stainless steel or concrete tanks that are heated to a maximum of 50 degrees. This, and the fact that the barrels are not completely filled, gives madeira its unique, oxidised flavour.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF MADEIRA