Madeira Wine（上）

Madeira Wine

source：https://www.madeirawinecompany.com/about-us/madeira-wine.html

What is Madeira Wine?

什么是马德拉酒？

Madeira is a fortified wine produced and bottled in Madeira - a Portuguese island off the coast of Morocco - using specific grape varieties, aged by the unique heating system, making use of the same ancient ageing techniques that have passed from father to son, from one generation to another. This iconic fortified wine is virtually indestructible.

Madeira wine is typically a mono-varietal wine, with each white varietal representing one of the four styles of Madeira. Dry, medium-dry, medium-rich and rich..

Historically, Madeira Wines were divided in two categories: the ones that bear a generic age - also known as Blends - and those who were produced from one single grape variety, and from one single harvest, which can be Colheita or Vintage

马德拉是一种加强酒生产和装瓶都在马德拉-一个葡萄牙的岛靠近摩洛哥海岸。-使用特定的葡萄酒品种，用特别的加热系统熟化，使用同样古老的成年技术，父传子，一代传一代。这种标志性的加强酒是坚不可摧的。

马德拉酒实际上航一种单品种酒，用一种白葡萄呈现马德拉四种风格中的一种。干，中干，浓郁，非常浓郁。

历史上，马德拉就分为2个大类：一种经过当地熟化-同时也明确是混合酒-那些用单一葡萄品种一次采摘酿制的可以作为colheita或年份酒

An Accidental Wine

The heating of the wine during the ageing process is unique. Its origins came about during the era of discoveries in the 15th and 16th centuries when the sailing ships passed by the island to pick up fresh water and supplies, in the form of wine in barrels which were loaded onboard the visiting ships to provide much needed refreshments to the sailors, and to also act as ballast. Legend has it that on one particular round trip to India, the barrels of wine were returned to the producer on the island who discovered that the wine had improved considerably, which was attributed to the heating of the wine by the high tropical temperatures, as the ship had crossed the equator 4 times. For many years, the practice of shipping wines on a round trip became normal, and gave birth to the “vinho da roda” (round trip wines).

For centuries afterwards, shippers continued to send casks of their wines on long voyages, for no other reason than to develop greater character. Today, this ageing is replicated via the Estufagem and Canteiro methods in the wine lodges on the island.

With time, the practice of shipping barrels on a round trip became costly, and following the introduction of steam ships, the journey became much faster, and producers started using the “canteiro system”. As sales grew, and demand increased, producers were challenged to find a faster way of supplying their costumer’s needs, and as a consequence, the “estufagem” system was invented.

在陈年过程中加热葡萄酒是特别的，它起源于15.16世纪当海运帆船途径这个岛取淡水和物资时发现的。装上途径船只的桶装葡萄酒提供非常需要活力的水手。同时也可以作为压舱物。相传有一只环球航行船队去印度，桶装酒被退回生产商发现那些葡萄酒品质已经明显有改善，主要因为热带高温对葡萄酒的加热。因为那只船穿越赤道四次。很多年后，环球航行船只装载酒变得很普通，所以诞生了’“Vinho da  Roda”(环球酒）

几个世纪之后，航海者仍旧在长途航行中装载他们的酒，没有其他原因就是为了发展出优秀的热性。至今，这种成年技术已经通过Estufagem和Canteiro 方法在岛上的葡萄酒库被复制。

物换星移，运载载环球航行的船只上的方法变得很贵，随着蒸汽船的发现，这个过程就变得更快。生产生开始使用Canteiro 系统。当销售增长时，需求增长，生产商在寻找更快方法满足客户需求方面遇到体站，由此Estufagem 系统诞生了。

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