Madeira Table Wine; Pedra De Fogo by Elsa Maria da Silva Ferreira

Madeira table wines! Yes, they do exist and some of them are actually worth looking for – and drinking! Admit it, how can you say no to a Touriga Nacional, from Madeira. Please continue liking and sharing my site; for that I can’t thank YOU enough!

Have you ever wondered why you see so few table wines in Madeira, that is, locally produced? Or why the few you might have tasted were pretty mediocre? There’s an easy and quite logical explanation.

First of all, the Madeira topography hardly invites to table wine production. The costs are simply put too high and they can’t compete with mainland Portuguese wines in the same price and quality spectrum. And lastly, the fortified wines are so well-known and producing table wine more or less means one has to start from scratch, convincing the market that it’s worth betting on.

Madeira table wine is somewhat of a novelty and will most likely never be more than a niche product. That doesn’t mean they’re not exciting enough, not at all. Francisco de Albuquerque’s project, the delicious Primeira Paixão Verdelho for example, is one of those worth finding and buying. Limited production yes, two to four thousand bottles only, when produced. Last year none was made but for sure this is the benchmark table wine of the whites in Madeira.

Last year a friend of mine told me about an exotic project, where Touriga Nacional were the main grape. Producer? Elsa Maria da Silva Ferreira. Wine? Pedra de Fogo.

The first vintage was produced in 2007, at the Parque Agrícola do Caniçal. I managed to find the 2009 which is blended with a dash of Tinta Barocca and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tasted over two days, the wine is initially quite oak dominated. Then with aeration the dark cherries comes, sweet licorice, flowers and a herbal, green touch. Still oaky, but much more integrated. On the palate a quite light Touriga Nacional, not so much in common with the ones you find in Dão or Douro, but pleasant balance, some tannins and a nice mouth-gripping acidity. Toasted oak, cherries and roses. Good grape ripeness and some length.

Without doubt the best red Madeira wine I’ve tasted so far. When buying and tasting a boutique wine like this, one has to keep in mind not to compare too much with the mainland, at least not price wise. The initiative is honorable and worthy following.

The MAM Opinion:

Buy it? Well, there you have yet a reason to visit the island, right?