Madeira and Marsala

Where it started

Madeira travelled on ships bound for the New World and the East Indies; the wine warmed in the holds, and the island later recreated that effect with estufagem.¹ Marsala was first made in 1773 by John Woodhouse, a Liverpool merchant, and Benjamin Ingham opened a rival house in 1812.²

Where and how it's made

Madeira: about 400 hectares of vineyard are worked by around 1,200 producers, nearly all by hand.³ Fermentation is stopped with 96 percent neutral alcohol, giving 17 to 22 percent.³ Ageing follows one of two legal systems: estufagem, heating for at least three months at no more than 50°C, or canteiro, slow ageing in casks at room temperature.³ High acidity lets Madeira last beyond two hundred years.³

Marsala: usually blended from Grillo, Catarratto and Inzolia, fortified with grape brandy and sweetened with cooked must or mistela; older wines use a solera.²

How to taste it

Madeira's high acidity keeps even sweet versions fresh. Sercial works as an aperitif, Malvasia with dessert.¹ Try dry Marsala Vergine on its own before you reach for the cooking bottle.

Styles and what the label means

• Sercial / Verdelho / Boal / Malvasia — dry, medium dry, medium sweet, sweet.³
• Tinta Negra — the main red grape, used across all four sweetness levels.³
• Rainwater — a traditional U.S. name for medium-dry Madeira.¹
• Marsala Fine / Superiore — at least one / two years of age.²
• Marsala Vergine — at least five years, no added sugar.²
• Oro, Ambra, Rubino — Marsala's gold, amber and ruby colors.²