Development of a fast and reliable method for long- and short-term wine age prediction

► A methodology to predict wine age of fortified Madeira wines is proposed. ► Estimates of wine age provide information about quality evolution with ageing. ► The model is based on UV-vis absorbance measurements for accessible use on wineries. ► The model is reliable and accurate, substituting more complex data collection methods. ► Information on how well the product is doing, in terms of the expected ageing trend, is obtained by methodology presented.