"Have some Madeira M'Dear"
Michael Flanders (1922–1975) and Donald Swann (1923–1994) wrote and performed a collection of very entertaining songs for a stage review during the 1950s and 1960s called "At the Drop of a Hat" and a follow-up called "At the Drop of Another Hat." Recordings of their performances were also made into records (that is, LPs, if you are too young to remember before CDs). Many of these songs are just as amusing now as they were back then, and if you haven't heard of them, I'd like to introduce you!
Madeira wine -- the drink offered by the man with very bad intentions in the song -- is actually quite a delicious beverage. We haven't had any Madeira for a while, but we're thinking we ought to get some! It's also used in one of the classic French sauces. From an article on "Classic Madeira Wine Sauce" at The Spruce Eats:
"Madeira wine is named after the Madeira islands in the Atlantic ocean off the coast of Portugal, where the grapes for it are grown. It has a sweet, caramel flavor, but it isn't overpoweringly sweet. There's a smoky, nutty undertone to it as well.
"The original demi-glace was actually made with Madeira wine in very complex recipes. Nowadays, these thick, syrupy sauces are half brown stock and half Espagnole sauce, reduced by half, and widely used to flavor other preparations with their concentrated and rich flavor. What we think of today as a Madeira sauce is simply a basic demi-glace that's been enriched with Madeira wine; so the main part of the cooking process of this wonderful sauce is making the demi-glace." (source)
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| Madeira wine producers offer tours of their cellars. See this website: Madeira Wine Bottlers. |
If you are a wine expert, you will know the names of several different styles and types of madeira wine, as well as know the historic vintages and prices of the wine. I'm no expert! Here's a screen grab that illustrates this variety:
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| A few types of Madeira wine from the website Vintage Wine and Port. Prices on this website range from around $30 to the five-figures. |
As usual, I'm sharing this little exploration of a beverage with the bloggers at Elizabeth's weekly blog party who share what they are drinking. I hope I'll be drinking some of this soon!
18 comments:
Learning about wine is one of my goals for the next few years. I've got two books to help me: Wine for Normal People and Wine Folly: The Master Guide.
Thanks for the intro. I'd never heard of them. I've also never had Madeira.
Happy T Day!
Thanks for the intro!
Interesting! I know the song well. LOL When I saw you had commented on my blog, I realized I had left my photo off of our waters! Happy T Day!
I enjoyed this thanks Happy T
Interesting as always, Mae. I don't think I have ever had any of that wine but would love to try it. Thanks for all the information! Happy T-day and hugz
My late friend Nico loved Verdelho so much that he grew the grapes and made his own wine from them. This was really interesting and I learned something new today.
I had to laugh at the song, and yes, I've heard of Madeira wine, but I'm not a wine drinker, so I was not surprised by the prices. This was an interesting read, and as always, something outside the box. Thanks for sharing (and possibly introducing) Madeira wine to us for T this Tuesday, dear Mae.
I might have a place mat from my Mum when she visited Madeira.
She only spoke of the flowers, but now I get an idea of what she had to drink admiring them ;-)
I've read in books where people drink madeira, but I don't think I've ever had it. What is it like? That song was a fun accompaniment to while I read your post, but I had to wait until this morning as last night the TV was on. Hope you have a nice TV Mae. Hugs-Erika
Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed this.
Good old fashioned humor about the hats:) I have not ever tried Madeira. It almost sounds like the Spanish Porto to me. Happy T day!
Now that you bring it up, I remember Flanders and Swan. I really like these types of "bits". The info on the wine is excellent. I do like the taste of wine but had to stop drinking it due to migraines. I love the photo of the whine barrels too. Have a great day Mae.
What a delight to hear that song again! I remember it well! There was a Dutch equivalent too which I knew by heart as a child (and of course didn't understand the deeper meaning).
I also know Madeira wine as lovely and sweet without being too sweet (which I don't like). I have drunk it for years. Next time I go to Portugal, I'll get a bottle. Thanks for reminding me.
Happy T-Day,
Hugs,
Lisca
I've heard the song before. Always makes me laugh. Thank you for the Madeira, m'dear. Happy T Day
I think I heard about Madeira from a classic movie but as I don't drink, I am not up to date on the varieties available.
Happy Tea Day,
Kate
Anytime I read or hear Maderia wine I immediately get the Privateering song by Mark Knopfler in my head.
Very interesting post about Madeira wines Mae ! Thanks so much for sharing. I have never drink this wine. But I have visited some years ago, the Bodegas Gonzalez Byass, very big bodegas. It was an impressive visit, there were many oak barrels of wine, and at the end, we had a wine tasting, each one more tasty. Happy belated T-day !
Have a very nice Friday, big hugs
Caty
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