Marsala

The world of these oxidative-aged wines takes us to the Sicilian province of Trapani, Alcamo, Pantelleria and Favignana, characterised by beautiful pastel-coloured salt flats and a deep blue Mediterranean Sea. No other wine embodies the west coast of this unique island as well as the historic Vino Marsala. Its origins date back to the 18th century and a fateful incident meant that we owe the invention of one of Italy's oldest and most traditional wines not to the Sicilians themselves, but to an Englishman: John Woodhouse from Liverpool docked his merchant ship in the Sicilian port of Marsala in 1773 due to a storm. During his stopover, the English merchant enjoyed the local wine and immediately spiked the wine barrels brought on board with high-proof alcohol. This enrichment supported the shelf life of the precious drop, which had to brave the climatic conditions of his ship all the way to England. Vino Marsala, thus invented by chance, became England's new elite wine, soon pushing Spanish sherry and Portuguese Madeira out of the market.

The hills of Sicily's west coast, gently sloping down to the sea, are considered an ideal wine-growing area with their chalky subsoil and the constant sea breeze. The Marsala DOC appellation, which was created there in 1969, is one of the first designations of origin in Italy. Since then, Marsala wine has been classified according to colour, ageing time and degree of sweetness. The traditional addition of alcohol and must results in 17 to 20 percent by volume, making Marsala a fortified wine. The bright, vibrant colours are dictated by the autochthonous grape variety selection and the blending ratio. The golden-coloured Marsala Oro and the amber-coloured Marsala Ambra are made exclusively from the white grape varieties Grillo, Cataratto, Damaschino and Inzolia; Marsala Rubino owes its shimmering ruby-red colour to the red grape varieties Pignatello, Nero d'Avola, Perricone and Nerello Mascalese, as well as a maximum white grape variety share of 30 percent.

The older the wine, the higher the quality

Maturity period and enrichment classify Marsala into five quality levels: Marsala Fine, with a maturing period of one year, is always the youngest wine on the market. This simple wine has an alcohol content of 17 percent. It is followed by Marsala Superiore with a minimum age of two years and at least 18 percent alcohol. The additional designation Riserva, after at least four years of ageing, forms the third category called Marsala Superiore Riserva, also with 18 percent by volume. These first three quality levels (Fine, Superiore and Superiore Riserva) may be enriched with mosto cotto (boiled down grape must), sifone (freshly pressed must) or mistella (mixture of freshly pressed must and brandy). This usually results in sweet dessert wines, which are called semisecco with 40-100g residual sweetness per litre. Anything over 100g of residual sweetness per litre, on the other hand, is classified as dolce. That Marsala does not always have to be sweet, however, becomes clear in the two highest quality levels preferred by Sicilians: While Marsala Vergine has a minimum maturation period of five years, Marsala Vergine Riserva must even mature for at least ten years. These wines may only be enriched with neutral brandy and the alcohol content for both is at least 18 percent. Because the addition of sweet must is strictly forbidden here, these dry wines have less than 40g of residual sweetness per litre (secco). They are impressive food accompaniments that promise an authentic Sicilian taste experience with fish soups, oysters or pickled anchovies.

Oxidative aroma diversity

Each class of Marsala is aged in wooden barrels that are not filled to the brim to allow constant contact with oxygen. This oxidation process is intentional in Marsala production because it produces complex maturation aromas that give a unique, fruity-walnut pleasure. The typical saltiness is reminiscent of the vast salt flats of Sicily and is complemented by gentle acid notes. The aromatic complexity and the unique length of flavour encourage one to swirl the wine glass for hours. In order to preserve the taste of the previous years, different barrels and vintages are blended together according to the solera system. Thanks to oxidative ageing, the open bottle can be enjoyed for weeks compared to other wines. The fact that we can enjoy such unique and multifaceted Marsala wines today is not only thanks to John Woodhouse, but also to the constant commitment of quality-oriented wineries like C. Pellegrino, which have remained true to the historic wine tradition of Marsala. SUPERIORE.DE