Madeira

Madeira is a wine produced in the Portuguese island of the same name, in the Atlantic. It has a fairly high alcohol content and is made largely with Malvasia grapes.

There are four types of Madeira: the Boal,which is sweet; Verdelho, semi-dry; the Sercial, dry and robust; and finally Malvasia, the sweetest and most fragrant of all, obtained from very ripe grapes. Madera is an after-meal wine, but is sometimes served as an aperitif. It is also widely used in cooking, to flavour sauces and perfume meat or dessert dishes.