Matthew's World of Wine and Drink

The taste of madeira is all about heating the wine to produce a maderised effect. On top of that, the characteristics of the different grape varieties result in a wide range of quality and style.

The sub-tropical island of Madeira is warm and wet, unique conditions that growers and producers have to factor when planting the classic grape varieties Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, and Malmsey, as well as the commonly planted Negramoll.

Madeira is one of the greatest and most historic styles of wine, but now there are just 4m bottles made a year. The history of the wine accounts for its distinctive style, as explored in this first episode on madeira.

With over 80 grape varieties allowed for port production, the wine is always a blend, combining the colour, acidity, alcohol, body, flavour profile, and, of course, quality of the many varieties. This episode focuses on the six most important, as well as the highest-quality variety for white port.

Extracting colour and tannin are all-important for the production of port; how and where the wine is aged afterwards determines the style. Those styles have changed a lot in the last fifty years - learn more in this episode.

The Douro is famous for its historic steep terraced slopes but modernisation over the last forty years have seen changes in how and where the grapes have been planted. Learn more about this hot, inhospitable, yet beautiful and world-class wine region.

An introduction to port, the great wine of Portugal: its history and how its styles have changed and developed over the centuries.

The final episode focusing on sherry - in this instance, the many different styles of sweet sherry and the methods of making them.

Although the vineyard plays an important role in sherry, the varied styles are a result of what happens in the winery. Learn how production methods - from fortification to ageing - affect the styles of fino, manzanilla, amontillado, oloroso, and palo cortado.

The different styles of sherry owe a lot to how they are made in the winery, but a lot happens in the vineyard too.