Winemaking
How Madeira is made
Fortified and then deliberately heated, producing a wine that is effectively indestructible.
Overview
Fortification timing sets the sweetness, as with Port. The distinguishing step is heat.
Estufagem heats the wine in tanks for months; canteiro ages casks in warm lofts for years and produces better results.
Both cook and oxidise the wine deliberately, which means there is nothing left for air to damage. An open bottle keeps for months.
Sources
Sources consulted
- Instituto do Vinho, do Bordado e do Artesanato da Madeira — IVBAM, Portugal
More in winemaking
Winemaking
Fermentation
Yeast converting sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide — the step that makes wine wine.
Winemaking
How red wine is made
Fermenting grape juice in contact with the skins, which is where colour and tannin come from.
Winemaking
How white wine is made
Pressing the juice off the skins before fermentation, then fermenting the clear juice.