Madeira wine

Madeira is a fortified wine made on the Portuguese island of Madeira, in the North Atlantic Ocean, just under 400 kilometers (250 mi) north of the Canary Islands, Spain and 520 kilometers (320 mi) west of Morocco. Madeira is produced in a variety of styles ranging from dry wines, which can be consumed on their own, as an apéritif, to sweet wines usually consumed with dessert. Lower-priced Madeira is also used for cooking; are often flavoured with salt and pepper, but these are not fit for consumption as a beverage.

The islands of Madeira have a long winemaking history, dating back to the Age of Exploration (approximately from the end of the 15th century), when Madeira was a standard port of call for ships heading to the New World or East Indies. To prevent the wine from spoiling, the local vintners began adding neutral grape spirits. On the long sea voyages, the wine would be exposed to excessive heat and movement, which benefited its flavour. This was discovered when an unsold shipment of wine was returned to the islands after a round trip.