Madeira: The islands and their wines

Madeira wine is currently experiencing a renaissance. It is a wine that behaves like almost no other. Heat and air, the sworn enemies of most wines and winemakers, conspire to turn madeira into one of the most enthralling of the world’s wines as well as the most resilient. Madeira wines from the nineteenth and even the eighteenth centuries still retain an ethereal, youthful gloss. Once the cork is removed, the wine comes to no harm, even if the bottle is left open and on ullage for months on end. If ever there was a wine to take to a desert island, this is it. Although Madeira was only discovered in the fifteenth century, the island and the wine trade have a long and involved history. After a short historical introduction Madeira: The islands and their wines rounds on the present: the physical character of the archipelago, the state of the vines and vineyards and the way in which the wines are made. A guide to the current producers follows along with a detailed appraisal of their range of wines. There is also a chapter for collectors of older wines, many from shippers that no longer exist but whose names live on in bottles of wine that are still found in cellars all over the world. Wines dating as far back as the eighteenth century are featured in the book, along with quality appraisals. Madeira is without doubt one of the most difficult wines to describe but it is certainly the most uplifting. There is a short section on the language of tasting madeira as well as information on buying, keeping and serving the wines. The book concludes with a travel guide for anyone visiting the islands. This unique book on the islands and their wines explains what it is that makes madeira so special. Madeira: The islands and their wines was shortlisted for the André Simon Food and Drink Awards 2015.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements Preface 1. Madeira wine: an introductory history 2. The islands of Madeira and Porto Santo 3. Vines and vineyards 4. The production of madeira wine 5. Madeira wine producers 6. Great (and some not so great) vintage madeiras and historic wines 7. Buying, keeping, serving and tasting madeira 8. Visiting the islands Postscript: The future for madeira wine Glossary Bibliography Appendices Index

About the Author :
Richard Mayson is an award-winning wine writer and an authority on Portuguese wine. A lecturer and consultant, he writes for Decanter, Wine International and The World of Fine Wine and is a contributor to the Oxford Companion to Wine and Larousse Encyclopaedia of Wine. His books include Port and the Douro, Madeira: The islands and their wines and The wines of Portugal. He is Chair of the Decanter World Wine Awards for Port and Madeira Wine.

Review :
"There is something mystical about Madeira and its wines. Richard Mayson, better than any earlier writer has managed to capture this mystery and paint it clearly for the reader." "The author effectively shares his considerable insight and passion for the wine. It will be valuable for anybody who enjoys drinking madeira." "[Mayson] manages to tell the stories and build the picture of madeira with the skill of a great teacher – somehow turning a lot of dry facts and figures, history, geography, science and English language [...] into a book that becomes increasingly hard to put down." "Madeira is not reading for wine students alone. While Mayson’s book is chalk-full of details on madeira wine, don’t expect a dry, textbook read. Madeira is dynamic, telling the story of Madeira through the lens of its wine industry." "A lot of information, very assured, a good way to help better understand and appreciate this wine of the gods." "The book [is] so delightful that I am now reading it for the second time." "Despite the near invisibility of its vineyards, Madeira’s wine remains one of the world’s leading fortified wines." "The book is deep and full of knowledge – and well written as well."