There is a good range of Madeira wine substitutes that can come in handy for cooking. And it’s a good thing that these substitutes can rely on the quality of the wine.
Conventionally, Madeira Wine is made on the Portuguese islands of Madeira, off the western coast of Africa. The wine has a high alcohol content, usually around 20%. This high alcohol content can be attributed to the addition of other spirits, mostly brandy, to the wine. Since the wine is fortified with these spirits, it gets a higher alcohol content.
The wine is used in several recipes as a cooking wine, an aperitif, and more. Considering its variety of uses and versatility, some substitutes could be specialized. As in, a substitute that works wonders to replace Madeira wine in cooking may not do so well as a cocktail.
With that in mind, let’s see what the best Madeira wine substitutes are and how you can use them.
Top Substitutes For Madeira Wine (With Alcohol)
1. Sherry Wine
Sherry, or rather dry sherry is a wonderful substitute to Madeira wine. At 15%, it has a slightly lower alcohol content than Madeira, but it will do the job just as well. Dry sherry is great for use in cooking, though it can be pretty good with cocktails as well.
Though an excellent choice, dry sherry isn’t an exact substitute. You will see a change in the overall flavor of the recipe. Although, in many cases, that changes might be acceptable.
2. Port Wine
As another fortified wine usually made with brandy, This is a Portuguese wine too, and its production process is quite similar to Madeira wine. As such, both of these have a similar flavor and profile. Although Port lacks the oxidized flavor that’s usually seen in Madeira.
That is a distinction, but for a substitution, it’s not a deal-breaker. Port can be used as a cooking wine and for cocktails as well. Play around with dry white port or red tawny to see which one fits the requirements best for your use and taste buds.
Port wine is a good substitute for Madeira wine and can substitute it in a 1:1 ratio.
3. Marsala Wine
Marsala is a delicious fortified wine. Unlike similar substitutes, this one comes from Sicily. Or rather, the town of Marsala in Sicily. Marsala wine is best known for its cooking prowess. Chicken Marsala is a famous dish that depends on this wine to get its unique flavor and taste.
It’s possible to use Marsala for most of the cooking requirements with Madeira wine. It won’t go well with cocktails or beverages, but it does a marvelous job as a cooking wine.
For most recipes, you can substitute Marsala for Madeira in a 1:1 ratio.
4. Ice Wine
Ice wine is an interesting treat in its own right and an acceptable substitute for Madeira wine for a few recipes. Made from the liquid of frozen grapes while still on the vine, this one has enjoyable sweet undertones with a bright acidity.
Use it with desserts for a rich and delicious addition of flavors to the food.
To be clear, ice wine is technically an acceptable substitute for Madeira wine. However, there is no reason to actually use this rare and delicious wine as a substitute. If you can get hold of this rare and expensive wine, it makes much better sense to use it in its own right and style, rather than employing it as a replacement for other ingredients.
5. Vermouth
Vermouth can replace Madeira wine in savory food recipes as well as cocktails. It’s a rather unusual choice, but it works surprisingly well. It’s possible to use sweet or dry vermouth as replacements. While they can work as general options, you might want to be more specific with some recipes.
Dry vermouth can be a good choice for savory recipes. Though it has sweet undertones, its herbal and spiced flavors add a nice touch to savory recipes. For beverages or cocktails, try sweet vermouth for its sweet notes coupled with herbal and spicy undertones.
Non-Alcoholic Substitutes For Madeira Wine
If you’re interested in Madeira wine alternatives, you might try and give a shot to non-alcoholic substitutes. Many people prefer to avoid alcohol, so using Madeira wine or its alcoholic substitutes isn’t possible. In such situations, these non-alcoholic options can save the day.
1. Fruit Juices
There is a good range of popular fruits that can work as substitutes or replacements for Madeira wine. These include popular options like apple juice, red grape juice, pomegranate juice, or berry juice.
While these are all fruits, they may not work interchangeably.
Apple and red grape juice are sweet with some tart notes. Use them in a dessert to add more flavor and fun to your food. Pomegranate juice can work with desserts pretty well, but if you want, you can also use it for dressings, marinades, or sauces.
Another useful option are berries. Cranberries are the best choice here and can handle most desserts and similar requests. If you want more variety, give a shot to blackberries, gooseberries, raspberries, and blueberries. These berries don’t have a lot of included sugar, so you may want to mix some in for better taste of the recipe.
2. Balsamic Vinegar
The undertones of sweet flavor and its consistency make balsamic vinegar a good choice for replacing Madeira wine in several recipes. It is best used for savory recipes and dressings, where its acidic touch adds more character and flavor to the recipes.
When used in cooking, balsamic vinegar can intensify in flavor as time passes. If you use balsamic vinegar in a cooking recipe, keep these aspects in mind. It might be better to add the vinegar at a later point in the recipe, rather than at the start.
3. Beef And Chicken Stock
Chicken and beef stock can both be decent alternatives to Madeira wine in cooking savory recipes. Both these options already have a savor flavor and go well with many recipes, so the path is already clear. In most cases, it is possible to replace Madeira wine with stock in a 1:1 ratio.
What Is Madeira Wine? Things You Should Know
As already discussed, Madeira wine gets its name from its place of origin – the Madeira islands off the coast of Portugal. The wine is available in several varieties, including sweet varieties and dry varieties.
Sweet Madeira wines play an excellent role in desserts and cocktails. On the other hand, dry madeira likes to play with savory recipes or be served as an aperitif.
The wine is made from grapes, then fortified with the addition of another spirit. The presence of brandy in this wine often takes its total alcohol content to around 20%. While it’s not overly strong, it’s still a hefty alcohol content for a wine.
Choosing The Top Replacement For Madeira Wine
Though it has a rather interesting flavor and presence, Madeira Wine doesn’t lack replacements. If you are in a position where you need Madeira wine substitutes, the several options listed here can make things easier for you. And of course, sometimes you may want to rid your cooking and cocktails of alcohol. In such a situation, there are several non-alcoholic options worth looking into.