The balance of acidity

Our soils are of volcanic origin, where basalt predominated, very rich in organic matter and acids, directly exposed to the sunshine and to the sea breeze.

The climate of Madeira island is influenced by northeast almost all year long. The variety of microclimates under the topographical conditions is quite astonishing. The climate is characterised by hot and humid summers and mild winters. Wine-growing zones have sub-humid and humid to arid climates depending on the coast and altitude.

These conditions combined with the traditional trellised vine system, the consequent difficulty of the physiological ripening of the grapes, and the very high yields, often compromise the ripening of the grapes, producing wines with very high acidity levels, characteristic of all Madeira wines.

The Terroir of our wines!

According to the Larousse Guide "Terroir is a French word without translation into any other language. This means the more intimate relationship between the soil and the micro-climate that produces a type of grape, which freely expressed its quality, distinctiveness and identity in a great wine, without anyone knowing exactly why."

We know why! Because the H.M. Borges wines are the result of a terroir of unique and exceptional characteristics associated with geology, topography of the wine-growing region, terrain, climate and microclimate, conduction of the vine, winemaking, grape varieties, human intervention, culture, history, tradition and the know-how of the men and women in the Madeira Island.