Marsala DOC

A sample of Marsala wine.

Marsala is a wine produced in the region surrounding the Italian city of Marsala in Sicily. Marsala wine first received Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) status in 1969.^[1]

While the city's natives sometimes drink "vintage" Marsala, the wine produced for export is universally a fortified wine similar to Port. Originally, Marsala wine was fortified with alcohol to ensure that it would last long ocean voyages, but now it is made that way because of its popularity in foreign markets.

History

The most creditable version of the introduction of Marsala fortified wine to a wider range of consumers is attributed to the English trader John Woodhouse. In 1773, Woodhouse 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.^[2] Fortified Marsala wine was, and is, made using a process called in perpetuum, which is similar to the solera system used to produce Sherry in Jerez, Spain.^[3]

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 wine would be popular in England. Marsala wine indeed proved so successful that Woodhouse returned to Sicily and, in 1796, began the mass production and commercialization of Marsala wine.^[4]

"In 1833, the entrepreneur Vincenzo Florio, a Calabrese by birth and Palermitano by adoption, bought up great swathes of land between the two largest established Marsala producers and set to making his own vintage with even more exclusive range of grape".^[5]

Florio purchased Woodhouse's firm, among others, in the late 19th century and consolidated the Marsala wine industry. Florio and Pellegrino remain the leading producers of Marsala wine today.^[6]

Characteristics and types

Marsala is produced using the Grillo, Inzolia, and Catarratto white grape varietals, among others.^[7]

Marsala contains about 15-20% alcohol by volume. Different Marsala wines are classified according to their color, sweetness and the duration of their aging. 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 aging classifications are as follows:^[8]

• Oro has a golden color.
• Ambra has an amber color. The coloring comes from the mosto cotto sweetener added to the wine.
• Rubino has a ruby color.
• Fine has minimal aging, typically less than a year.
• Superiore is aged at least two years.
• Superiore Riserva is aged at least four years.
• Vergine e/o Soleras is aged at least five years.
• Vergine e/o Soleras Stravecchio e Vergine e/o Soleras Riserva is aged at least ten years.^[7]

Marsala wine was traditionally served as an aperitif between the first and second courses of a meal. Contemporary diners will serve it chilled with Parmesan (stravecchio), Gorgonzola, Roquefort, and other spicy cheeses, with fruits or pastries, or at room temperature as a dessert wine.^[1] Marsala is sometimes discussed with another Sicilian wine, Passito di Pantelleria (Pantelleria Island's raisin wine).^[9]

In cooking

Marsala wine is frequently used in cooking, and is especially prevalent in Italian restaurants in the United States. A typical Marsala sauce, for example, involves reducing the wine almost to a syrup with onions or shallots, then adding mushrooms and herbs. 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.^[10] Marsala is also used in some risotto recipes, and is used to produce rich Italian desserts such as zabaglione, tiramisu and shortcake.^[11]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Scagliarini, Loris. "Marsala Wine Characteristics". WineCountry.IT. http://www.winecountry.it/phpfunctions/winepopup_revised.php?WineId=353. Retrieved 2007-12-24. 
2. ^ winepros.com.au, The Oxford Companion to Wine, Marsala
3. ^ Biancalana, Antonello (2007-06). "Wine Producers: Florio". DiWineTaste. http://www.diwinetaste.com/dwt/en2007064.php. Retrieved 2007-12-24. 
4. ^ Bridle, James. "Marsala Ice Cream". Cooking With Booze website. http://cookingwithbooze.org/fortified-wine/marsala-ice-cream/. Retrieved 2007-12-04. 
5. ^ "Marsala". SicilyWeb. http://www.sicilyweb.com/english/trapani/marsala.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-04. 
6. ^ Thomson, Patricia (2003-07). "Sicilian Wine Reborn: A New Breed of Winemakers Is Shaking Up Sicily". Tastes OF Italia Magazine (via La Dolce Vita Wine Tours website). http://www.dolcetours.com/re_article6.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-24. 
7. ^ ^{a b} Bicais, Ben. "Marsala". Calwineries. http://www.calwineries.com/learn/wine-production/fortified-wine-production/marsala. Retrieved 2007-12-24. 
8. ^ J. Robinson (ed) "The Oxford Companion to Wine" Third Edition pg 428-429 Oxford University Press 2006 ISBN 0198609906
9. ^ Italian Trade Commission (2006-03-16). "Enoteca 2006: Mariani Sheds Light on Marsala". Italian Trade Commission (New York). http://www.italianmade.com/trade/feature.cfm?art_ID=223. Retrieved 2007-12-24. 
10. ^ Rogers, Cathy. "What is Chicken Marsala?". wiseGeek.com. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-chicken-marsala.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-04. 
11. ^ "Florio Marsala Recipes". Banfi Vintners. Archived from the original on 2007-12-01. http://web.archive.org/web/20071201134205/http://www.banfivintners.com/florio/florio_recipes.html. Retrieved 2007-12-04.