What grapes are used to produce dry styles of Madeira?

What grapes are used to produce dry styles of Madeira?

• A. Bual & Malmsey
• B. Tinta Negra & Sercial
• C. Sercial & Verdelho
• D. Verdelho & Malmsey

Answer: (C)

Dry Madeiras come from the lighter, higher-acidity grape varieties, primarily Sercial and Verdelho. Sercial is the archetype for a dry style—lean, crisp, with bright acidity that gives a brisk, mineral character. Verdelho can also be made in a dry to medium-dry range, adding slightly more body but still keeping a sense of fresh fruit and acidity. Together, these two grapes are the classic basis for dry Madeira. The other grapes point toward sweeter styles. Bual (Boal) and Malmsey (Malvasia) yield richer, dessert-like wines, while Tinta Negra is versatile but not typically the chosen grape for producing the dryMadeira category.

Dry Madeiras come from the lighter, higher-acidity grape varieties, primarily Sercial and Verdelho. Sercial is the archetype for a dry style—lean, crisp, with bright acidity that gives a brisk, mineral character. Verdelho can also be made in a dry to medium-dry range, adding slightly more body but still keeping a sense of fresh fruit and acidity. Together, these two grapes are the classic basis for dry Madeira.

The other grapes point toward sweeter styles. Bual (Boal) and Malmsey (Malvasia) yield richer, dessert-like wines, while Tinta Negra is versatile but not typically the chosen grape for producing the dryMadeira category.