Frasqueiras

[Shawn Denkler]

I first tried vintage madeira in the 1970's and have built up a nice collection. I have four books on Madeira. But the term "Frasqueiras" is not known to me. When did it come into use and what is its official meaning?

[Andreas Platt]

Hi Shawn!

Vintage Madeira.

http://www.vinhomadeira.pt/Frasqueira-1918.aspx

[Eric Ifune]

The term "Vintage" cannot be used on the label, since the Port Wine Institute copyrighted it for Port. So Frasqueira is used instead. Sometimes Garrafeira is seen.

[Shawn Denkler]

Thanks both of you.
I did find "Frasqueiras" in Liddells Madeira book but had never seen it used before.

The word "Garrafeira" used to be seen more often, now it seems "Frasqueiras" is coming into more common use.
Maybe because "Garrafeira" is used for port also.

I'm surprised Portugal allowed "Vintage" to be trademarked. They have basically the same meaning and Madeira producers keep their standards high. Portugal has a long ways to go in marketing its wines. By forcing more terms to be used and understood by consumers it makes it harder to educate them and get them to try wine they have never had before. I've read for years that the complicated terminology of Germany for Riesling has made it hard to understand its wines and has made it harder for the consumer.

[Eric Menchen]

The word "Garrafeira" used to be seen more often, now it seems "Frasqueiras" is coming into more common use.
Maybe because "Garrafeira" is used for port also.

Garrafeira has a very specific meaning for Port, where it is a style aged for a short time in wood before transfer to large glass jugs known as demijohns for further aging. It is also used for other Portuguese wines with a different, more general meaning.

[Shawn Denkler]

Yes the word "Garrafa" means "bottle" so the word "Garrafeira" makes sense for the demijohn aging done by Niepoort and others in the port trade. Niepoort uses the word on the bottle itself.

Yet for Madeira all aging is done in cask. I've never heard of demijohn long term aging. A number of people on this forum have been to the island, perhaps you have seen it. There "Garrafeira" means wine cellar and is used for Madeira with 20 years aging or more.

[Eric Ifune]

Glass aged Madeira is a very US thing, especially the late 19th and early 20th century. Sometimes you'll see a bottle up for auction. Some households were famous for their glass aged Madeira. These are the wines that had names of ships or family members on them.

[Shawn Denkler]

I have seen the names of American families on Madeira. I presume they had casks shipped to them and put it into demijohns.