Madeira Wine can be appreciated at any time. According to each type, Dry Madeiras are great with aperitifs, as well as the Medium Dry ones, which are also a wonderful complement of soups. Cheeses are perfect to pair with Medium Sweet Madeiras, while Sweet Madeiras are ideal for sweets, chocolates and even more interesting with an excellent coffee.
Temperature
Madeira Wine is a fortified wine and its serving temperature is extremely important. At a high temperature only the aromas from the alcohol emerge, masking part of the characteristic aromas of the wine. The suggestions of the producers, usually given on the label, should always be taken into account. Generally speaking, the most appropriate serving temperature depends mainly on the degree of sweetness, age and variety or varieties of the wine. It is usually recommended that the wine be served at between 13 and 14º for younger wines while older wines, given their greater complexity, should be served at a temperature varying between 15ºC and 16ºC.
Glass
The ideal glass for Madeira Wine should have an elongated tapered bowl, wider at the stem and more closed in at the top. Only in this way does the wine have sufficient space to reveal its bouquet and concentrate its richest and most complex aromas at the top of the glass. The glass should be filled to one third.
Decanting
It may be necessary to decant Madeira Wine to remove any sediment which may have formed over the years. But it may also be necessary to decant wines which were bottled some time ago, since they develop volatile aromas created by the high acidity of the wine. In this case, decanting into a decanter is recommended then, covering it, or into a glass or crystal bottle, with the wine being returned to the original bottle after a week.
Storage
It is standard for Madeira Wines to be bottled in dark coloured bottles, which should be stored in dark places. In the case of vintage wines, Frasqueira, care should be taken on opening the bottle, as the corks become fragile with time and may break.
Visual aspects
Generally speaking, the colour of Madeira Wine can be amber, golden, old gold, yellowish copper, brown and even some shades of green.
Aromas
Madeira Wine does not show the denominated primary aromas which occur in white or red wine. Instead Madeira Wine has a bouquet which consists of a combination of aromas developed during the aging process, including the following: pine, eucalyptus, dried fruit, chocolate, orange peel, coffee, tobacco, coconut, caramel, tea, honey, burnt sugar, oak, pepper, vanilla, clove, curry, nutmeg, varnish and cinnamon.
Palate
The palate of Madeira Wine depends on the harmony of three factors: the degree of sweetness, acidity and alcohol content.
Independent of their degree of sweetness, all Madeira Wines have at least 20 grams of residual sugar while the sweetest easily reach 60 g/l. This sweetness is, however, balanced by a good dose of acidity. The after taste is very lingering and appears to increase with the age of the wine.