marsala wine

Marsala is a fortified wine, dry or sweet, produced in the region surrounding the

Italian

city of

Marsala

in

Sicily

. Marsala first received ''Denominazione di Origine Controllata'' (DOC) status in 1969.

The

European Union

grants Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status to Marsala, and most other countries limit the use of the term ''Marsala'' to products from the

Marsala

area.

While unfortified wine is also produced in the Marsala region, it does not qualify for the Marsala DOC.

History

Marsala fortified wine was probably first popularized outside Sicily by the English trader John Woodhouse. In 1773, he landed at the port of

Marsala

and discovered the local wine produced in the region, which was aged in wooden casks and tasted similar to Spanish and Portuguese fortified wines then popular in England. Fortified Marsala was, and is, made using a process called ''in perpetuum'', which is similar to the ''solera'' system used to produce

Sherry

in

Jerez

, Spain.

Woodhouse recognized that the ''in perpetuum'' process raised the alcohol level and alcoholic taste of this wine while also preserving these characteristics during long-distance sea travel. Woodhouse further believed that fortified Marsala would be popular in England. Marsala indeed proved so successful that Woodhouse returned to Sicily and, in 1796, began its mass production and commercialization. In 1806, it was Benjamin Ingham (1784–1861), arriving in Sicily from

Leeds

, who opened new markets for Marsala in Europe and the Americas. Founded by Benjamin Ingham and later run by Joseph Whitaker and William Ingham Whitaker. Joseph and his brother William Ingham Whitaker inherited vast vineyards and his great grandfather Ingham's banking empire.

In 1833, the entrepreneur Vincenzo Florio

Florio purchased Woodhouse's firm, among others, in the late nineteenth century and consolidated the Marsala wine industry. Florio and Pellegrino remain the leading producers of Marsala today.

Characteristics and types

Marsala is produced using the

Grillo

, Inzolia,

Catarratto

and Damaschino white grape varietals, among others.

Marsala contains about 15–20% alcohol by volume. Different Marsala wines are classified according to their color, sweetness, and the duration of their ageing. The three levels of sweetness are ''secco'' (with a maximum 40 grams of residual sugar per liter), ''semisecco'' (41–100 g/l) and ''sweet'' (over 100 g/l). The color and ageing classifications are as follows:J. Robinson (ed) ''The Oxford Companion to Wine'' Third Edition p. 428–429 Oxford University Press 2006
* ''Oro'' has a golden colour
* ''Ambra'' has an amber colour. The coloring comes from the ''mosto cotto'' sweetener added to the wine
* ''Rubino'' has a ruby colour, made from red grape varieties such as Perricone, Nero d'Avola and Nerello MascaleseP. Saunders ''Wine Label Language'' pp. 176 Firefly Books 2004
* ''Fine'' is aged at least one year
* ''Superiore'' is aged at least two years
* ''Superiore Riserva'' is aged at least four years
* ''Vergine'' and/or ''Soleras'' is aged at least five years
* ''Vergine'' and/or ''Soleras Stravecchio'' and ''Vergine'' and/or '' Soleras Riserva'' is aged at least ten years

Marsala wine was traditionally served as an aperitif between the first and second courses of a meal. Contemporary diners will serve its drier versions chilled with

Parmesan

(stravecchio),

Gorgonzola

,

Roquefort

, and other spicy cheeses, with fruits or pastries, and the sweeter at room temperature as a dessert wine. Marsala is sometimes discussed with another Sicilian wine, ''Passito di Pantelleria'' ( Pantelleria Island's

raisin

wine).

In cooking

Marsala wine is frequently used in

cooking

, and is especially prevalent in dishes served in Italian restaurants in the United States.

Dry Marsala wine is used in savory cooking. A typical savory Marsala sauce, for example, involves reducing the

wine

almost to a syrup with

onion

s or

shallot

s, then adding

mushroom

s and

herb

s. One of the most popular Marsala recipes is chicken marsala, in which flour-coated pounded chicken breast halves are braised in a mixture of Marsala, butter, olive oil, mushrooms, and spices. Marsala is also used in some

risotto

recipes.

Sweet Marsala wine is used to produce rich Italian

dessert

s such as ''zabaione'' and shortcake.

See also

* Albanello Bianco, another Sicilian grape variety used to make a notable eighteenth-century Marsala-style wine ''Ambrato di Comiso''.

References

{{Wines

Fortified wine
Italian DOC
Marsala
Cuisine of Sicily
Florio family
Wines of Sicily