Madeira

by Alex Liddell

Madeira is one of the world's great wines, with a history that few others can equal. It is a wine of legend. For centuries it was the wine of connoisseurs on both sides of the Atlantic, and venerable bottles still remain in private cellars, for it is a wine that lives practically for ever. Lately it has experienced some years in the wilderness, but now a world-wide resurgence in the popularity of Madeira is under way. Yet little has been published about the wine or its history. This book sets out both in detail and will enable the many varieties of wine available to be enjoyed for their merits and in their historical context.

Genres: Wine

272 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1998

Reviews

[Spike Gomes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, madeira. That fabled wine that holds for decades without dying, produced by my ancestors before they emigrated across two oceans. Ever since I learned of it, I've been fascinated by it, even as I've had very few chances to sample it. Of the wines of Portugal, it's the hardest to find in Hawaii, and usually well beyond my reach financially. I've never had vintage madeira, though hopefully someday I will get to sample some.

Alex Liddell's book on madeira wine is a labor of decades worth of love, sampling and research. Pretty much everything that you would ever want to know about the history, production and tasting notes of madeira wine is in the book. I mean *everything*, from the local and international legal wrangling on wine production, to soil analysis of various growing areas of the island. Understanding this book probably takes some previous knowledge of viniculture as well as the science and legalese of wine production. As I don't know wine production as well as I do beer or bourbon, I was a bit lost at points, since they don't exactly use the same language. Liddell isn't the best stylist, as well. It's clear he's very enthusiastic and learned about his subject, but other than the tasting notes and some catty gossip about the relations between the various production houses, he's a very dry and somewhat flat writer.

I learned quite a bit about madeira, and had several misconceptions about the subject cleared up. Firstly, very few of the production houses actually own vineyards, most grapes are produced by small plots of farmers and gardeners and sold to the houses, who ferment the must and age and blend it to create their wine. The four "traditional varieties" of Sercial, Verdelho, Bual and Malavasia that most people are talking about when they discuss vintage madeira are never subjected to the estufagem heating process, which was news to me (as this is something misconceived in most general handbooks on wine). Also, madeira is a latecomer to the modernization of the wine-making process, as progress moves at snail's pace in someplace like the Madeira's. It is interesting to note, that my edition of the book, written in 1998 contained several predictions about the future of madeira, based on debates between the production houses and the growth of the once stagnant wine trade. Googling madeira wine blogs shows that Liddell, in some respects, had a crystal ball. Production and shipping of bulk wine stopped, table wine of authorized varietals replaced low quality creole vines for the tourist trade, and much of the legal wrangling with the EU is now complete.

So read this book and a enjoy a glass of the good stuff, because madeira isn't just for little old ladies in England anymore!

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not enjoy the style of writing nor the way it was presented - but it was informative.

[Paul Dangel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is my ‘Madeira Wine Bible’ and a must (not wine must) read for anyone interested in Madeira wines. I would have given it five stars except for the fact that much of its statistical data are long out of date. An updated edition would certainly be a six star treasure. Nonetheless, the core information (history, varietal descriptions, winemaking processes, and maps) is still solid and relevant. There are other Madeira books that go into much detail on the different topics but Liddell gets the all essential points taken care of between just two covers. If you can find it, it’s worth the search.
(Note: My copy is a used paperback edition. The only new ‘for sale’ copy of the book that I’ve seen anywhere is in Funchal, Madeira.)