Development and success (15th–18th centuries) . The roots of Madeira's wine industry date back to the
Age of Exploration, when Madeira was a regular port of call for ships travelling to the
East Indies. By the 16th century, records indicate that a well-established wine industry on the island supplied these ships with wine for the long voyages across the sea. The earliest examples of Madeira were unfortified and tended to spoil before reaching their destination. However, following the example of
port, a small amount of
distilled alcohol made from
cane sugar was added to
stabilize the wine by boosting the alcohol content. (The modern process of fortification using
brandy did not become widespread until the 18th century.) The
Dutch East India Company became a regular customer, picking up large, casks of wine known as "
pipes" for their voyages to India. The intense heat in the holds of the ships had a transforming effect on the wine, as discovered by Madeira producers when one shipment was returned to the island after a long trip. The customer was found to prefer the taste of this style of wine, and Madeira labeled as
vinho da roda (wines that have made a round trip) became very popular. Madeira producers found that
aging the wine on long sea voyages was very costly, so they began to develop methods on the island to produce the same aged and heated style. They began storing the wines on trestles at the winery or in special rooms known as
estufas, where the heat of the island sun would age the wine. With the increase of commercial treaties with England such as the
Marriage Treaty in 1662, important English merchants settled on the island and, ultimately, controlled the increasingly important island wine trade. The English traders settled in the Funchal as of the seventeenth century, consolidating the markets from North America, the
West Indies and England itself. Notable brands include Cossart and Gordon founded in 1745 and Blandy's in 1811. The eighteenth century was the "
golden age" for Madeira. The wine's popularity extended from the
American colonies and Brazil in the New World to Great Britain, Russia, and Northern Africa. The American colonies, in particular, were enthusiastic customers, consuming as much as 95% of all wine produced on the island each year.
Early American history (17th–18th centuries) , whose boat seizure after unloading a cargo of 25 pipes of Madeira caused riots in Boston.|alt=Full-length portrait of a young man seated at a table - he wears a finely tailored dark suit, knee breeches with white stockings, and a wig in the style of a European gentleman. He holds a quill pen in his right hand, and is turning the pages of a large book with the other hand. Madeira was a very important wine in the history of the United States of America. No wine-quality grapes were grown among the thirteen colonies, so imports were needed, with a great focus on Madeira. One of the major events on the road to the
American Revolution in which Madeira played a key role was the seizure of
John Hancock's sloop by
Boston customs officials on 9 May 1768. Hancock's boat was seized after he had unloaded a cargo of 25 pipes () of Madeira, and a dispute arose over import duties. The seizure of
Liberty caused riots to erupt in Boston. Madeira was a favorite of
Thomas Jefferson, and it was used to toast the
Declaration of Independence.
Modern era (19th century – present) The mid-19th century ushered an end to the industry's prosperity. First came the 1851 discovery of
powdery mildew, which severely reduced production over the next three years. Just as the industry was recovering through the use of the copper-based
Bordeaux mixture fungicide, the
phylloxera epidemic that had plagued
France and other European
wine regions reached the island. By the end of the 19th century, most of the island's vineyards had been uprooted, and many were converted to sugar cane production. The majority of the vineyards that did replant chose to use American vine varieties, such as
Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia and Vitis rupestris or
hybrid grape varieties rather than replant with the
Vitis vinifera varieties that were previously grown. By the turn of the 20th century, sales started to slowly return to normal, until the industry was rocked again by the
Russian Civil War and
American Prohibition, which closed off two of Madeira's biggest markets. After the repeal of Prohibition, improved shipping technology meant that ships no longer needed to stop off in Madeira, the island that was directly in the trade winds between Europe and America. The wine became known as The Forgotten Island Wine. The rest of the 20th century saw a downturn for Madeira, both in sales and reputation, as low-quality "
cooking wine" became primarily associated with the island—much as it had for
Marsala. In 1988, the Symington family of Portugal invested in the Madeira Wine Company that owned many of the Madeira brand names. They asked
Bartholomew Broadbent to re-launch Madeira and create a market for it again in America, which he did in 1989, establishing a firm rebirth of Madeira. Towards the end of the 20th century, some producers started a renewed focus on quality—ripping out the hybrid and American vines and replanting with the "noble grape" varieties of
Sercial,
Verdelho,
Terrantez,
Bual and
Malvasia. The "workhorse" varieties of
Tinta Negra Mole now known officially as just Tinta Negra, and
Complexa are still present and in high use, but hybrid grapes were officially banned from wine production in 1979. Today, Madeira's primary markets are in the
Benelux countries, France (where it is only used for cooking, salt and pepper having been added prior to bottling), and Germany; emerging markets are growing in Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. == Viticulture ==