February 17, 2014
Happy Presidents' Day

(Also George Washington’s Birthday) Did you know that George Washington drank Madeira every night with dinner? In fact, our Founding Fathers toasted with Madeira after signing the Declaration of Independence. So we celebrate the versatile and unspoilable wine Madeira in honor of Presidents Day.

Vintage Madeira, or Frasqueira, and the wines produced by the solera system are Madeira’s claim to greatness. These wines are not simply a selection of the best wines from the best years, but they’re made from particular ‘noble’ grape varieties after which the wines are named. These names not only describe the grape variety, but also describe the style. These wines have great acidity that makes them a wonderful accompaniment to any meal. The harmony with food depends on the degree of sweetness. There combinations are delicious and infinite. Please find many gastronomy recipes to pair with Madeira wine.

Sercial is the driest of the wines. It is light in color, full-bodied and refreshing.
Verdelho is a medium-dry wine. It is golden in color.
Boal is a medium-rich wine. It is full-bodied and fruity.
Malvasia is a rich and oily wine. It is dark in color, full-bodied and aromatic.

Two Rare Madeira Grapes of Notice You can only find the grape Bastardo in old vintages and soleras. Many Madeira drinkers have never seen a bottle, owing to its miniscule yields and vulnerability to insects, little was ever planted and even less was ever bottled on its own. Even though Bastardo is a sweet grape, the style of the vintage wines is often on the dry side. But some glorious old vintages do exist, and of course there is the vintage of 1927.

The Terrantez grape is hardly grown anymore, and with many vines killed from phylloxera, the wine is also rare to come by. Efforts are underway to replant the variety. This wine can produce two styles of Madeira - rich and sweet or dry with a certain bitterness at the end.

Rare Wine Company Revives Madeira As America’s leading merchant of rare, old Madeiras, The Rare Wine Co. has been a major force behind Madeira’s recent revival in the marketplace — introducing a new generation of wine lovers to the wonders of vintage Madeira. Through the efforts of Rare Wine Co., we are able to bring you the Madeira wines of Vinhos Barbeito, D’Oliveira and RWC Historic Series.

Bringing Madeira into the Cocktail Culture We had Christophe Bakunas, the Spirit Portfolio Manager, experiment using Madeira as a cocktail ingredient. The heavy, creaminess of the wines are sure to make cocktails a bit more complex this winter. His favorite, The Constitution, is below for you.

“The Constitution” 1 1/2 oz Small’s American Dry Gin
2 oz RWC Historic Series Charleston Sercial
1/4 oz Combier Orange Liqueur
1 tsp Raspberry Simple Syrup
2 drops Tikki Bitters
Stir for 40 revolutions in a tall glass with large ice cubes until very chilled. Serve up in a coupe glass with a flamed orange peel as a garnish.

Another favorite of his (unnamed) incorporated the RWC Historic Series Boston Bual (2 oz) with 1 oz Small’s American Dry Gin, 2 dashes Luxardo, 1/4 oz Cointreau and 2 drops of Chocolate Bitters.