Fires, drought, and too much rain are wreaking havoc in the world’s wine regions. Please say prayers for hardworking folks in the industry. Also please stop with the online ordering and support our local businesses, especially those that give so much back to our community. Props to all those business people who continue to support local charities in the face of a very difficult business climate.
Enjoy imported beer? Check bottling dates. Recent logjams in transport caused serious delays. Several recent articles point to blockages at nearly every turn. Lack of dockworkers, warehousemen, drayers (move containers within yard) and truckers is causing jammed-up ports. Many of the items we purchase are delayed. Beer goes bad. Sorry to inform those who prefer “natural” wine with no SO2; the spoilage problem affects these also. In addition, lack of warehouse capacity has caused many full containers to lay about in the hot, sunny weather. Can you imagine the temperatures inside? Sadly, many products spoil in these conditions. They are not Madeira.
Madeira wine, as we know it, was accidentally discovered by the wine producers of Madeira during the time of the triangle trade (15th-18th century) when unsold shipments of wine returned to the islands were found to be drinkable. They capitalized on it. To prevent subsequent shipments of wine from spoiling, a large problem at the time, they copied the idea from Port producers of adding neutral grape alcohol. Port was also in vogue back then. On the long sea voyages, exposure to excessive heat and constant sloshing about in its barrels transformed the flavor of the wine to one that many found appealing, especially Colonials in the U.S., who consumed 95 percent of Madeira’s wines. Today, Madeira is made using a process called estufagem. No more long, slow ocean voyages. Madeira will keep for centuries. Even those opened have longevity of decades, although they will evaporate. In the not-so-good old days, sweet and fortified wines were much in demand, due to lack of proper storage conditions and the spoilage they induced in “natural wines.” Vinegar was plentiful. Look for these names: D’Oliveiras Boal 1968 $288, top rated; Henriques and Henriquez Terrantes 20 YO, $150; or Malvasia (aka Malmsey and referred to in our Founding Fathers’ documents from the 1780s drinking bouts in Philly and NYC) 20 YO, $100; anything by Barbeito. Most are rated low 90s. Rare Wine Co’s. Historic series Special Reserves: Charleston, Boston and New York labels are 93 McD. Around $40 they get 2 price points. Great entry-level authentic Madeira. For some strange reason, wineries worldwide can label wine Madeira. Those from the eponymous islands are better in most cases.
Why Madeira? Portuguese explorers learned of the trade wind phenomenon and followed the wind, the same which brings hurricanes to the Americas, to those islands and beyond. Were you aware that Christopher Columbus was initially a sugar-trader ship captain, working Madeira? In fact, his wife was the daughter of a plantation owner from Porto Santo, one of Madeira’s original named islands. Historians claim that by 1500, Madeira was the largest sugar producer in the world. They also claim that Columbus was the first to introduce sugar cane to the Americas. Certain historical hystericals are now claiming Ol’ Chris is also culpable for diabetes, cavities and obesity. You can learn more here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeira_wine.
Another factoid: Quite a few whiskeys are aged in used Madeira casks. One top-drawer label is Springbank 25 Year Madeira Cask Matured Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Campbelltown, Scotland. It will only set you back $592 per fifth. For comparison, Macallan Rare Cask Black Steven Klein Limited Edition will only cost $3,600/fifth. Unfortunately, I have sampled neither. Those visiting the Museum of Ice Cream in Manhattan can walk around the corner to Bowery and Vine, at Bowery and Houston, to pick up a couple of bottles. Had to mention this because I my first thought when seeing the prices was, how ironic. In my misspent youth, the Bowery was better known for used restaurant equipment, pruno, Wild Irish Rose and T-Bird.
Breaking news – Allan Scott SB Marlborough 2020 and Joel Gott Cali SB 2019, both rated 92 points, went on sale under $13.The deal was so good, Butch Cassidy and Sundance actually bought some.
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Email John at chjonmc@yahoo.com.
