Madeira

Fortified wine from the Portuguese island of Madeira, these are reputed to be among the longest-lived wines in the world, lasting well over a hundred years in some cases. Madeira seemed to improve in the steaming holds of sailing ships over long voyages. Today Madeira makers recreate this cooking of the wine in a process called estufagem, where aging warehouses are heated to over a hundred degrees to simulate the heat in the hold of a sailing vessel.

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