Madeira is a very robust, fortified Portuguese wine that is often underappreciated. It goes wonderfully with cheese, is great as a pre-dinner sipper, and works well as a dessert drink by the fire. Dark chocolate, which is very hard to pair with wines, is perfect with Madeira’s combination of acidity and sweetness. And, like a port, it should be served relatively cool (around 55-60F) and in a port-style glass – small and thin.
Suggested Bottles: HENRIQUES & HENRIQUES Bual Madeira 10 Years Old NV for about $35 or BLANDY’S Malmsey Madeira 15 Years Old NV about $45. Or, if you decide to splurge, take your time and investigate the true vintage bottles.
Historical Note: Madeira is known as vinho da roda, or “wine of the round voyage”. It was first shipped to Europe in 1515, to the court of King Francis I of France, from the eponymous island southwest of Portugal (off the North African city of Casablanca as pictured – Wow!). Shippers found that the mere act of shipping the wine through the equator helped its aging process – so they filled pipes with the wine and purposefully used it as ballast on ships, to let it age.
For more about us, 
