Types of Madeiras

When cooking with Madeira, it is important to use the type specified in the recipe or to choose one that is similar in flavour.

Sercial is the driest of the Madeiras and is often drunk as an apéritif. In cooking, it is used as a flavouring, particularly for savoury dishes. Verdelho is medium-sweet and sometimes served as a wine to go with the soup course or as an after-dinner drink, usually with Madeira cake. Bual is a medium-sweet blend, used to flavour desserts and cakes and as an after-dinner drink. The richest and darkest variety is Malmsey. It has fruity, liqueur-like qualities and is used to flavour desserts and as an after-dinner drink with fruit, nuts and cakes.