Five lodges.Four classic styles.One sommelier.

01

Highest altitude · picked late · driest fortified

Sercial

The driest of the four classic Madeira styles. Crisp acid, almonds, salted lime, citrus pith. Apéritif territory — pairs with consommé, jamón, oily fish. The first glass of the evening, not the last.

highest altitude · 0–18 g/L sugar · apéritif

02

Mid altitude · medium-dry

Verdelho

The off-dry middle ground. Honey-marmalade nose with bright acid running underneath. The most food-friendly of the four — pairs with smoked fish, light curries, semi-aged cheese. The crowd-pleaser.

mid altitude · 49–78 g/L sugar · food wine

03

Lower altitude · medium-sweet

Bual (Boal)

Where Madeira turns sweet. Walnut, raisin, caramel, balanced acid. The classic match for foie gras, aged blue cheese, pecan tart. The serious-tasting wine without committing to dessert wine.

lower altitude · 78–96 g/L sugar · cheese-pairing

04

Coastal terroir · sweetest fortified

Malmsey (Malvasia)

The sweetest and richest. Toffee, dried fig, dates, espresso bitterness keeping it from cloying. The post-dinner wine — also the cigar wine, the chocolate wine, the late-night wine. Most travellers underestimate how good a 20-year Malmsey is.

coastal · 96–135 g/L sugar · digestif