Last night at the Cannery, opting out of dessert, I ordered a glass of the Cedar Creek 2004 Platinum “M”. Knowing nothing about the wine I had just ordered, after some consideration I made the rookie assumption that I was drinking an Oloroso Sherry… it wasn’t until I got home that I discovered I had been drinking a Madeira Style wine – the only Madeira style wine made in the Okanagan Valley.
Annoyed with my rookie mistake, I took to the internet to figure out where I went wrong and what the distinct differences are between the two styles of wines.
Happy with my search results, I thought I would share this video of Ben Campbell-Johnston explaining the differences between the two.
Here’s a quick recap on some other random facts I’ve picked up:
Sercial Madeira
- Made in the Madeira Islands of Portugal
- The most dry of the Madeira styles
- Limited residual sugar (0.5 to 1.5°) with high acidity and almond characteristics
- Heated to high temperatures in barrels (estufagem aging process) to introduce oxidization and increase longevity
Oloroso Sherry
- A type of Sherry made from white grapes grown in Jerez, Spain
- Fortified with Brandy after fermentation
- The darker and less ‘yeasty’ variety of dry Sherry wines (when compared to Fino)
- Introduced to oxidization during the aging process in North American oak casks