Cheers: Madeira for the holidays

December is a month of expansive meals and lingering celebrations, a perfect time to bring out a special dessert wine. Good quality Madeira is rising in popularity in the U.S. because of its complexity and range. It’s great for after-dinner sipping, pairing well with traditional Louisiana sweets like bread pudding; but it’s also a fine accompaniment to savory dinner dishes like game. Similar to Port, Madeira is a fortified wine, but brandy is added. The wine is heated during production, creating rich, aromatic flavors. This month, try one of the Madeiras from the Rare Wine Co.’s Historic Series, which includes what amounts to wine replicas inspired by old-style Madeiras produced centuries ago. In the 1700s and 1800s, Madeira was tremendously popular, so the series employs names of some of the earliest U.S. port cities, which imported the wine from the Portuguese island of Madeira, where it’s still made. Charleston Sercial Special Reserve is the driest of the series and has been paired with dishes by top-notch national chefs like Mario Batali. Boston Bual Special Reserve is much sweeter and carries notes of cinnamon, clove, maple syrup and wood. New York Malmsey Special Reserve is more complex and unfolds with rich toffee notes. Finally, the New Orleans Special Reserve amasses sweet, tangy and salty notes, including spice cake, orange and nuts. The wines are around $45 each, with the exception of the New Orleans Special Reserve, which is around $60. —Maggie Heyn Richardson (Photo by Dave Gallent)