The lyrics of the 1950's song of this title by the English comic duo, Flanders and Swann, reflects the already rather out-of-date image Madeira had acquired by mid-century; it was seen as your grandmother's tipple in the age of Dubonnet and the martini.
But what is it, this now deeply unfashionable wine, and why should you pay attention to it?
The second question is easy: because it's delicious, and the sweeter version, Malmsey, is one of the few wines that works with desserts, even chocolate.
As for the first question, it comes from a small Portuguese island of the same name 400 miles off the coast of Morocco, and bares a strong similarity to Port, in that it’s fortified with a dose of brandy, and Sherry in that it’s partially oxidized.
It was popular in Colonial and the early 19th century America, but a series of natural and man-made disasters (phylloxera, the Russian Revolution, Prohibition) hit the industry hard and it's only just now recovering thanks to a switch from quantity cooking wine to quality.
It can range from dry to sweet, in four different categories, the sweetest bring Malmsey, a corruption of the name of the grape, Malvasia, from which it's made. The trick here is that Malvasia has enough natural acidity to balance the sweetness and prevent it becoming cloying.
A fine example is Blandy's Madeira, Malmsey, Aged 10 Years ($40)
It's dark, and rich and sweet, full of spice and promise.
It has layers of woody notes along with hints of burnt toast, roasting coffee, dates, figs and hazelnuts. It rumbles with the intriguing mysteries of very good espresso.
Drink it with dark chocolate cake, gorgonzola or an almond tart.
