Sercial
Encyclopedia
Sercial is the name of a white grape
grown in Portugal
, especially on the island of Madeira. It has given name to the dryest of the four classic varieties of Madeira
fortified wine
.
The grape is grown in diminishing quantities at the southern end of the island. After phylloxera
devastated the Madeira's vineyards the grape became more common on the mainland, where it is known as Esgana or Esgana Cão. Its late ripening allows it to retain its characteristic acidity.
The anglicised name Sercial came to be associated with the Madeira style rather than the grape variety, being the lightest, most acidic and delicate expression of Madeira that takes the longest to mature. EU rules for varietal names on wine labels now require Madeiras labelled Sercial to be made from minimum 85% Sercial.
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
grown in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, especially on the island of Madeira. It has given name to the dryest of the four classic varieties of Madeira
Madeira wine
Madeira is a fortified Portuguese wine made in the Madeira Islands. Some wines produced in small quantities in California and Texas are also referred to as "Madeira", or "Madera", although those wines do not conform to the EU PDO regulations...
fortified wine
Fortified wine
Fortified wine is wine to which a distilled beverage has been added. Fortified wine is distinguished from spirits made from wine in that spirits are produced by means of distillation, while fortified wine is simply wine that has had a spirit added to it...
.
The grape is grown in diminishing quantities at the southern end of the island. After phylloxera
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
devastated the Madeira's vineyards the grape became more common on the mainland, where it is known as Esgana or Esgana Cão. Its late ripening allows it to retain its characteristic acidity.
The anglicised name Sercial came to be associated with the Madeira style rather than the grape variety, being the lightest, most acidic and delicate expression of Madeira that takes the longest to mature. EU rules for varietal names on wine labels now require Madeiras labelled Sercial to be made from minimum 85% Sercial.