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FijiFlavors · Madeira
Fortified wine from the Madeira designation of origin, made from grapes grown on terraced vineyards on volcanic soil and aged with heat, either by estufagem or in casks. It has been exported for centuries.
Traditional drink from Madeira
Also known as: Vinho Madeira, Madeira, Madeira wine
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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Vinho da Madeira — Madeira, Portugal
Madeira wine is a fortified wine: fermentation is stopped with grape spirit, which fixes the alcohol level and preserves some of the grape's sugar. What sets it apart is the aging with heat, which gives it an amber color, lively acidity and aromas of dried fruit, caramel and spices. Properly stored, it can last for decades.
There are two methods. In estufagem, the wine is heated for several months in tanks, which accelerates its development. In canteiro, the wine ages slowly in wooden casks stored on the upper floors of the warehouses, heated only by the climate; this is the method for the longest-lived wines, such as the frasqueira, from a single vintage, which spends two decades or more in wood.
The grapes come from vineyards cultivated by hand on poios, the terraces supported by stone walls on the island's slopes, on volcanic soil. Among the varieties associated with the classic styles are: Sercial, dry; Verdelho, medium-dry; Boal, medium-sweet; and Malvasia, sweet. Tinta Negra predominates in production and allows for different sweetness levels; Terrantez also features among the island's varieties. The designation of origin is regulated by the regional government's wine institute.
According to Madeira tourism, the wine was already being exported about 25 years after the settlement of the island began in the 15th century. It was the drink used to toast the independence of the United States in 1776, and it is mentioned by Shakespeare. In Funchal, historic warehouses welcome visitors, and the island celebrates the grape harvest at the Festa do Vinho at the end of summer.
It is served in a small glass. Sercial works well as an aperitif; Verdelho at the table; Boal and Malvasia with desserts and cheeses. It is enjoyed in small measures.
Grapes of authorized varieties from the island of Madeira (Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, Malvasia, Terrantez, Tinta Negra, among others) and grape spirit.
In a small glass. Sercial as an aperitif, Verdelho with meals, Boal and Malvasia with desserts, bolo de mel or cheeses. Enjoyed in small measures.
All year round. The Festa do Vinho da Madeira celebrates the grape harvest at the end of summer.
Your questions
Aging with heat, either by estufagem or in casks stored on the upper floors of warehouses. This gives the wine an amber color, lively acidity and aromas of dried fruit and caramel, and allows it to last for decades.
The four classic styles are named after the noble grape varieties: Sercial (dry), Verdelho (medium-dry), Boal (medium-sweet) and Malvasia (sweet).
In a small glass. Sercial works well as an aperitif, Verdelho with meals, and Boal and Malvasia with desserts and cheeses.
Flavors of Portugal
Stew of meats, sausages and vegetables cooked for hours in a pot buried next to the Furnas hot springs, using only the volcanic heat of the ground. A tradition from the island of São Miguel in the Azores.
Very moist sponge cake with an almost liquid center, eaten with a spoon. Made in Alfeizerão, in the municipality of Alcobaça, it is the region's best-known sweet according to Turismo de Portugal.
Suckling pig of one to one-and-a-half months, seasoned with garlic and pepper and roasted whole in a wood-fired oven until the skin becomes thin and crispy. Specialty of the Bairrada, centered in Mealhada, in the district of Aveiro.
Sweet of egg yolks and sugar syrup, served in painted wooden barrels or inside wafers shaped like sea motifs. It was the first Portuguese sweet with a protected geographical indication under European law.
Pudding of egg yolks, sugar and Port wine, with an unexpected ingredient: bacon. It was created in the 19th century by the abbot of Priscos, a parish of Braga, who was a banquet cook for the court.
Thick cut of Mirandesa-breed beef grilled over charcoal with only coarse salt. Turismo de Portugal identifies it as typical of the Miranda do Douro region, in the district of Bragança.
Meat from an old goat marinated in red wine with garlic and bay leaf and cooked for hours in a clay pot in a wood-fired oven. A dish from the mountain ranges of the Coimbra district, where Miranda do Corvo and Vila Nova de Poiares compete for the title of capital.
Half-moon of very thin pastry, baked in the oven, filled with a sweet made from egg yolks and almond. A convent sweet associated with the Mosteiro de Santa Clara, on the banks of the Mondego, in Coimbra.
Sweet made from egg yolks, milk, flour and cinnamon, baked in a clay dish until it cracks, served with Elvas plums in syrup. Eating sericaia with Elvas plums is one of Turismo de Portugal's recommendations for the city.
Almond paste sweet shaped like a loaf of bread, filled with egg sweet, chila and egg threads, served with marzipan olives. Created by the nuns of the Convento de Santa Helena do Calvário, in Évora.
Shellfish, fish or meat cooked in the copper two‑shell vessel that closes. Turismo de Portugal highlights clams in the cataplana among the traditional dishes of the Algarve.
Half-moon of puff pastry filled with egg sweet, almond and chila, brushed with sugar syrup. A legacy of the nuns of the former Convento de Santa Clara, now the seat of the Câmara de Guimarães.
Sweet made of egg threads, egg sweet, almond and cinnamon, wrapped in colored metallic paper. Tradition links its creation to the old Carmelite convent of Lagos, in the Algarve.
Leavened bread dough filled with ham, salpicón, meat in vinha-d'alhos or cod, baked in a wood-fired oven. It is the specialty that Turismo de Portugal recommends trying in Lamego.
Small sweet made of eggs, sugar and almond, cooked in a bain-marie, soft and glossy. Emblematic of Leiria’s confectionery, listed in the official catalogue of traditional products.
Pastry made with puff pastry filled with an egg-yolk, milk and sugar custard, eaten hot with cinnamon. Lisbon's official tourism presents it as the city's most emblematic sweet.
Pieces of beef seasoned with garlic, coarse salt and bay leaf, skewered on laurel sticks and grilled over embers. It is one of the most emblematic dishes of Madeira’s traditional cuisine, present at festivals and gatherings.
Ginja liqueur, an acidic cherry from the region, served in small chocolate cups that are eaten afterwards. Tasting ginjinha in a chocolate cup is one of the things Turismo de Portugal recommends in Óbidos.
Sandwich made with sliced sandwich bread and meats, topped with melted cheese and bathed in a hot tomato-and-beer sauce. It originated in Porto in the 20th century and is a common sight in the city's cafés.
Veal tripe stew with cured meats, white beans and carrot, served with rice. It is a historic Porto dish and the reason people from Porto are called tripeiros.
Hearty bean soup with pork and beef cuts, sausages and vegetables, served with a stone at the bottom of the pot. It is a traditional specialty guaranteed by the European Union and associated with Almeirim, in the district of Santarém.
Strips of choco coated in flour and fried until golden, served with lemon and french fries. It is one of the dishes most associated with the city of Setúbal, where the City Council holds a gastronomic week dedicated to choco.
Fortified (liqueur) wine from Moscatel grapes, from the Setúbal designation of origin, with a demarcated region since 1907 in the municipalities of Setúbal, Palmela and Montijo and part of Sesimbra.
Small tart with a thin, crisp pastry filled with fresh cheese, egg yolks, sugar and cinnamon. The Câmara de Sintra presents it as the oldest sweet in the town's gastronomy.
Slices of egg yolks beaten for a long time, cooked in a bain-marie in a special pan and soaked in sugar syrup. A convent sweet from Tomar, traditionally linked to the Convento de Cristo.
Rice cooked with pork, beef and chicken, pork blood and spices, served with rojões and sausages. The Municipality of Ponte de Lima, in the district of Viana do Castelo, calls it the hallmark of its gastronomy.
Fortified wine from the Porto denomination of origin, made with grapes from the Douro and linked to the cellars (caves) of Vila Nova de Gaia, where law concentrated the trade of this wine in 1926.
Crescent of crisp puff pastry filled with minced veal. It has a protected geographical indication from the European Union, with production restricted to the municipality of Chaves, in the district of Vila Real.
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