Islands

Madeira       Acores  

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MADEIRA

The Atlantic island of Madeira. 1200km south east of Lisbon, produces one of the world's most exciting and individual fortified wines. Grapes growing on the island's terraced volcanic slopes ripen in the humid, sub- tropical climate to produce a variety of different styles of wine denoted by their natural sugar content.

Sercial grapes, which produce the driest Madeira wines, tend to grow in cooler locations, either at high altitudes or on the on the north side of the island. The Malvasia grapes which make the very sweetest styles of wine are planted on the south side of the island near the coast.

The most widely planted grape variety is the versatile Tinta Negra Mole, Following fortification, the wines gain a characteristic 'maderised' character as a result of a carefully controlled heating process known as 'estufagem

GRAPE VARIETIES
Red: Tinta Negra Mole, Bastardo, Malvasia Roxa Verdelho Tinto
White: Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, Malvasia, Terrantez
Min Alcohol: 17%/vol

WINES
The finest Madeiras are named after the grape variety from which the wine is made. The driest wines are made from the Sercial variety, medium-dry wines from Verdelho, medium-sweet from Boal and the richest, sweetest wines known as Malmsey from the Malvasia grape.
The Tinta Negra Mole grape is responsible for producing a wide variety of different styles from dry to sweet. All the wines share raisinised aromas and flavours and naturally high levels of acidity which off set the richness of the very sweetest wines. As a result of the maturation process, Madeira wine is well known for its ability to keep in bottle.

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AZORES

Vines were introduced to the Azores by Portuguese settlers who colonized these volcanic islands in the fifteenth century Like Madeira, two islands of the Azorean archipelago, Pico and Terceira produce fortified wines from white grapes, mainly Verdelho A third island, Graciosa, makes light, unfortified wine.

• PICO
  GRAPE VARIETIES
  Arinto, Terrantez, Verdelho
  Min Alcohol: 16% / vol.

• BISCOITOS (TERCEIRA)
  GRAPE VARIETIES
  Arinto, Terrantez, Verdelho
  Min Alcohol: 16% / vol.

• GRACIOSA
  GRAPE VARIETIES
  Arinto. Boal, Joao Pires, Terrantez, Verdelho
  Min Alcohol: 10.5% / vol.

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Designed and maintained by FLB Enterprises