Fortified wine Marsala from Sicily – a complete educational program!

Marsala is the most famous wine in Sicily. Sweet, like satisfied revenge, strong, like a hand holding a sharp stiletto, refined, like the speech of a mafia consigliere. Holding a glass of Marsala, you are holding a piece of Sicily: everything in this wine – from grape varieties to aging characteristics – is exclusively your own, island. If you are in this region, be sure to try Marsala! In addition, it is possible that “if you refuse, they will stab you”!

Rumor has it that Marsal was adored chief of all chiefs New York mafia, Sicilian Salvatore Maranzana, also drank it while in exile on the island of his killer, Lucky Luciano. The implacable fighter for the freedom of Italy, Giuseppe Garibaldi, liked one of the varieties of the drink so much that it was called Garibaldi Dolce. It is not surprising that the sweet wine Marsala appeared in Sicily – after all, everything in the world is in balance! Where there is a gentle sun and beautiful women – there jealousy rages and tragedies happen, where the blood of enemies tirelessly fertilizes the earth – the juiciest grapes grow there, where passionate love – there is ferocious cruelty. Where the terrible Kosa Nostra appeared, the beautiful Marsala was born there.

Sweet wine Marsala – truly unique, truly Sicilian!

Marsala is a fortified wine produced only in Trapani, a province in the northwest of the island of Sicily. Despite popular belief, this wine is not exclusively dessert wine, like Madera, for example – there are both semi-dry and even dry varieties, but it is usually sweet varieties that are exported, therefore, outside of Sicily, Marsala is perceived in its dessert version. However, all Marsals are necessarily fortified, in the production process a special unaged brandy is used from the same grape varieties as for the wine itself.

For the manufacture of Marsala, such grapes are used as: Nero d’Avola, Pignatello, Nerello Mascalese (red) and Damascus, Catarrato, Misolia, Grillo (white), of which the main and most valuable is the last – Grillo, due to the unique ability to natural oxidation. Previously, Sicilian winemakers used an interesting technology of aging “Perpetuum”, (“eternal”), a local analogue of the famous “solera-and-criadera”. However, only one species is now produced this way, the rarest – Marsala Vergine, “virgin Marsala”.

In general, production is similar to the production of other fortified wines, however, there are a number of extremely significant features due to which Marsala is considered a truly unusual, original drink:

1. Only Sicilian grape varieties, found in few places outside the island, characterized by increased sweetness and oxidizing abilities.
2. Wine is fortified with distillate, which is also made from Sicilian grapes. In the course are those clusters that are not suitable for wine.
3. In addition to brandy, in the base, obtained by a short natural fermentation, young wine make another addition: either siphon, “circulation liquor” from the same distillate and grape juice, or cooked must – pure, juice boiled three times. Both additives are made from local grapes, with its help the drink acquires the desired level of sugar content, alcohol content, density and saturation.
4. Unusual aging technology – the wine is aged for some time in incomplete barrels made of local varieties of oak or (less often) chestnut, with access to oxygen, which oxidizes the must and gives it a number of unique flavors.

In general, Marsala has not only soil, grapes, brandy, technology, but even air – and that is exclusively Sicilian!

History of Marsala – from the British to Garibaldi and Cosa Nostra

Marsala is believed to have been discovered in Europe by Liverpool soda merchant John Wodehouse in or around 1773 – even Wikipedia will tell you about it. Most likely, merchants and navigators tried the drink much earlier – the convenient Marsala Bay served as a transit point for ships from Britain, Spain, France, plying the Mediterranean Sea. The sailors bought food, water and, of course, wine, which quickly dried up in the holds during long journeys.

One way or another, the first attested fact of Marsala’s import abroad is connected precisely with Wodehouse – the merchant purchased a batch of wine from local winemakers, as many as 50 barrels of 412 liters each (“pipe” in Sicilian). As for how the sale of wine went in Wodehouse’s native England, opinions differ. However, most likely, it went well, because after 3 years the Liverpool player returned to the shores of Sicily and bought a small plot where he built his own small winery. After that, the history of Marsala wine lay low and emerged into the light of day as much as 20 years later, but how it surfaced! The legendary Admiral Horatio Nelson signed a contract with Wodehouse to supply Marsala to the needs of the Royal Navy – a notable achievement for an insignificant winemaker from a distant island!

Meanwhile, the previously inconspicuous town of Marsala grew and grew rich. The fame of Wodehouse lured another Englishman to these parts, Benjamin Ingham, who also built his own winery nearby. Ingham was followed by John Hopps in 1810, and then local businessmen – Vincento Florio, Salvatore Amodeo e Figli, Diego Rallo and many others – took over the business. By the end of the 15th century, more than 1931 manufacturers were already producing Marsala, each of them made at least one and a half thousand barrels of wine per year, and some even more. In XNUMX, the law limited the production of Marsala to the territory of the province of Trapani – any other wine could no longer be considered Marsala.

By the way, a certain analogue was also produced in the USSR – of course, none other than the Crimean Massandra. However, these guys replicated almost all world classics – Madeiras, Sherrys, and Port wines. Now the oldest bottle of domestic Marsala, dating back to 1918, is stored in the company’s collection, and in the fall of 2018 a new collection bottle produced in 2010 will get there.

The Marsala crisis came closer to the middle of the 1969th century, and, apparently, the local Cossa Nostra had a hand in it. The market was flooded with fakes, and the producers themselves significantly reduced the quality of wine – apparently, they could not cope with the “tribute” that the mafias were forced to pay. The drink became more and more ordinary, European tastes began to change – dry wines just began to come into fashion. A new story begins only in XNUMX, when Marsala received the DOC certificate. The rules for production have become much more stringent, and the territory on which a drink of this brand can be produced has also narrowed. The quality of Marsala has increased, popularity has returned to it, but now as an elite wine, which not every taster is able to understand and love.

What is Marsala and how is it different?

According to the DOC classification, there are 29 types of marsala. As already mentioned, contrary to popular belief, this wine is not only sweet (Desserts, more than 100 g/l of sugar), but also semi-sweet (Semisecco 40-100 g/l) and dry (Dry, less than 40 g/l).

Color may vary. Amber Marsala (ambra) produced with the addition of boiled or concentrated wort, golden oro is done only with the addition of misrella, and red Rubino made from red grapes, without the addition of boiled must.

A more complex classification lies in the time and method of exposure. Let’s start with the simplest and most affordable:

1. end (the designation on the label IP – Italian Particolare is allowed). The simplest, but still quite real authentic marsala aged for at least a year, of which at least 8 months – in a barrel. Must contain a minimum of 17.5% alcohol. It happens in all colors, both sweet and semi-sweet or dry.
2. Top (also SOM “Super Old Marsala”, also LP “London Particolare”) – this is already the next level, age from two years. It also comes in all levels of sweetness and all colors. The sweet version of this wine has a separate name and label – GB “Garibaldi Dolce”, which may be present on a bottle of 2-year-old Marsala dessert wine instead of the usual designation.
3. Superior Reserve – four year old drink with 18% alcohol. It can also be of all varieties and shades.
4. Virgo / soleras – elite “virgin” Marsala, exceptionally dry, exceptionally golden – Oro. Aged in barrels for at least 5 years, has an 18% alcohol content. The production does not use concentrates and boiled must, only wine and distillate fixing it. This marsala is the purest, most authentic, aged in the old and time-consuming method of “solera-and-criadera”.
5. Finally, Virgin Reserve – clear, golden dry Marsala aged for at least 10 years. Elite of elites. A bottle will cost at least $100.

It seems to be everything. Basic information – aging time, “dryness”, category, color, as well as the year of harvest (for varieties of the Riserva category) – must be indicated on the label.

How to drink fortified wine Marsala? Aesthetics, accompaniment, culinary

Marsala is a complex, multifaceted wine. Of course, its properties differ dramatically depending on the color, aging time, grape variety, sugar content. However, absolutely any marsala contains a unique mixture of aromas resulting from oxidation. This mixture is called mess, which is translated by the not very pleasant word “rancid”. Tasters distinguish between fried bread and fruits here – Morel cherries, stewed apricots, apple trees, dried berries, tamarind – and tobacco, honey, vanilla, nuts, cane sugar, and even such unusual shades as dried porcini mushrooms or earth (seriously)!

• Ordinary dry versions of wine are used as an aperitif.. Everything here is classic – golden and amber harmonizes with fish dishes, especially soups, boiled fish, oysters, and also with spicy cheeses a la gorgonzola and parmesan.
• Red dry go well with meat salads, broths with side dishes such as Brussels sprouts or asparagus. It is customary to cool dry Marsala strongly – up to 10-11 °.
• Best Accompaniment semi-sweet versions – fruits and fruit salads, and red semi-sweet Rubino goes well with nuts and dark chocolate.
• Marsala dessert wine It is customary to serve with desserts (what a surprise!), but not with “Napoleon”, of course, but, for example, with Tiramisu, delicate Italian cakes with cream, grated nuts, the same chocolate.
• Elite, seasoned varieties Vergine and Vergine Riserva it is customary to drink unaccompanied, from glasses for sherry or port wine, slowly, thoughtfully. They are served at room temperature, but during the tasting process they are not heated like cognac, but gracefully held by the leg.

Marsala cocktails are almost never made, with the exception of Casanova (with bourbon, cream and Kalua) or Marsala Martini (Marsala, gin and dry white vermouth in equal proportions, prepared like a regular martini). But in cooking, this wine has found the widest application! It is used to caramelize sauces, as an ingredient in fish soups such as bouillabaisse, onion soup, stews, and even scrambled eggs.

And most importantly – it’s Italian pastries! Marsala cannot do without sweet wine, for example, Zabaione (it is better to use marsala in it than to replace it with sparkling prosecco) and the famous tiramisu. However, quite a bit of the product goes into baking – it’s not a pity. And we recommend that you drink thoughtfully everything that remains in the bottle. After all, among fortified wines, Marsala occupies a prominent place for a reason, it can deliver real pleasure not only to a gourmet, but also to a simple connoisseur of good, high-quality and unusual alcohol!