🍷 Malmsey
Also known as: Malvasia Madeira, Malmsey Madeira
The sweetest Madeira, made from Malvasia.
Malmsey is the sweetest type of Madeira. It is made on the island of Madeira from the white Malvasia grape, from whose name the word "Malmsey" comes. The wine is fortified: grape spirit is added, which stops fermentation before all the sugar turns into alcohol.
Malmsey has more than 96 grams of sugar per litre. So it is thick and sweet, but the sweetness is balanced by the bright acidity typical of Madeira. The taste recalls caramel, dried fruit, nuts and coffee. The wine is aged in barrels for many years, often for decades, and is very durable.
How it differs from other Madeira. Malmsey is the extreme case on the sweetness scale of Madeira. Drier types are called, for example, Boal. All belong to Portuguese wine and to Madeira. It is served in small portions with desserts or after a meal. An opened bottle keeps for a long time because Madeira has already been through heating and oxidation.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Malmsey → made in → 🗺️ Portuguese wine → kind of → 🗺️ Wines of Europe → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🍷 Madeira
- Where it is made
- 🗺️ Portuguese wine
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Madeira, 🍷 Bual, 🍷 Vin Santo
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Malmsey is just another name for any Malvasia wine?
Not quite. Malmsey is a type of Madeira; the word comes from the name of the white Malvasia grape.
What does Malmsey taste of?
Caramel, dried fruit, nuts and coffee, with bright acidity that balances the sweetness.
How is Malmsey different from Boal?
Malmsey is sweeter; Boal is a drier type of Madeira.
What to read next
- 🍷 Vin Santo — A sweet amber Italian wine from dried grapes, aged for a long time in small barrels.
- 🍷 Bual — A medium-sweet Madeira made from the Bual grape.
Similar
🍷 Verdelho Madeira · 🍷 Terrantez · 🍷 Rainwater Madeira · 🍷 Sercial · 🍷 Frasqueira Madeira · 🍷 Bual
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.