Madeira is probably the most indestructible wine in the world. Historically the wines were fortified with alcohol, and then shipped by boat across the tropics in long sea journeys. The resulting “cooking” in the holds of the ships yielded the wine we call Madeira. Nowadays the wine is either artificially heated or, for the best Madeira, stored in a hot attic. This abuse results in a unique, delicious wine. The wine's name comes from the name of the island of Madeira, a Portuguese possession in the Atlantic about 625 miles from Portugal.