Marsala wine: characteristics of the drink, reviews

Italian wines are famous all over the world. Literally every region of the Apennine peninsula boasts its regional drink. And if we talk about Sicily, there is also a wine "business card" here. This is marsala. We will talk about this marvelous wine today. Cultivated vines on the island began as early as the Greeks. The climate of Sicily was just perfect for winemaking. The southern sun poured berries with amazing sweet juice. The Malvasia wine that was born here was very popular in the Middle Ages. But times have changed. When dry wines were introduced into fashion, Sicily remained in the shade. But not for long. At the end of the eighteenth century, Marsala appeared. And Sicily again took a prominent place among wine producers. Now Marsala is so popular that it even has the same color (fabrics, hair dyes, lipstick, nail polish). It is muffled, but full burgundy on a brownish tart.

Birth of Marsala

Strangely enough, but the recipe for this wine was developed by an Englishman. In the middle of the eighteenth century, Liverpool merchant John Woodhouse arrived in Sicily. He bought land near the ancient city of Marsala, on the western coast of the island, in the province of Trapani. The Englishman was going to create so popular in the UK sherry and Madera. But something went wrong. Italian wines in Sicily are gaining a lot of sugar. This is how Marsala came out, the first glass of which was drunk in 1773. And as the Liverpool merchant made her fortified, the mature spirits played unimaginable shades of taste and had an unmatched bouquet. Glorified Marsala around the world, British sailors, led by Nelson. The admiral himself declared that such a wine would suit the most demanding lord. After the death of Wodehouse his case was continued by another Englishman - Benjamin Ingram. And then the Italian Vincenzo Florio.

Marsala wine: the production process is in brief

The drink is born thanks to thorough blending. Not many people know that the main raw material for marsala is white grapes. The main varieties are Damaskino, Calabrese, In Zolia, Qatarato and Grillo. But the red grapes Nerello, Mascalese and Pignatello add to the blend. No less than varieties of berries, production technology is also important. The must boil to brown color and characteristic caramel taste. This is a very important stage of production, because if you overdo it, the bitterness of burnt sugar appears in the drink . Further in the boiled wort are added cognac spirits or brandy. Then the wine of Marsala is insisted in barrels of cherry and oak, which are riveted without glue and nails. In such a container the drink is infused with the soler method. This means that the young wine is mixed into the old wine, and so it is cheating. With this method of aging, the year of harvest does not matter much.

Characteristics of Marsala wines

This drink is a controlled by origin name. To become the wine of Marsala, berries should mature only in a small area in the south-west of Sicily - in the province of Trapani. The blend must necessarily include the Grillo variety, which has the ability to natural oxidation. The color of Marsala wine can not be called light and even golden. Although produced a drink from white varieties. A bouquet of wine is very rich and interesting. There is a note of ship's resin in it. In the same taste, vanilla and caramel shades predominate, harmonized with light bitterness. Marsala is practically eternal wine. It continues to bottle in bottles and does not deteriorate even in the uncorked container. Alcohol in it is 17-18 degrees, and sugar - from one and half to seven percent.

What are the Marsals?

As in other alcoholic beverages, in this wine the status depends on the time of aging in barrels. At the foot of the pyramid is the "Fino" (selective). This wine of Marsala is aged in barrels for about one year. The rank is higher "Superiore", which has been in wooden containers for at least two years. If the label says "Reserve", the wine has matured for four years. "Vergina" means "native". It's a dry marsala, sustained for at least five years. And the "Virgine Stravecchio", before it was bottled, was at least ten years old. In Italy, the issue and drink of Marsala Speciale is allowed. This wine is supplemented with various aromatic and flavoring additives: coffee, bananas, citrus, chocolate, etc.

How to drink Marsala

Like any white wine, this Sicilian drink will serve as an excellent accompaniment to fish and seafood dishes. Especially good is the marsala with oysters, crabs, and also smoked salmon. This wine (especially red) can be served and cheese plate. Marsala is drunk in a moderately chilled form. It will be a good accompaniment to fish soup and even meat dishes. Italian housewives use it not only as a drink. The wine of marsala is suitable for tiramisu. This Italian dessert is made from Savoyardi cookies and mascarpone cream cheese cream. But before you put the biscuits in one layer, it is dipped for a second into strong coffee, flavored with marsala. Sweet wine taste gives a fresh dessert tiramisu a new sound.

Wine of Marsala: price

The cost of this product in the Russian market is considerable. But it should be borne in mind that Marsala is a product controlled by territorial origin. Only a small wine growing district in the south-west of Sicily gives birth to this wine. Further, the cost increases depending on the holding period. "Fino" is cheaper, and the crowning status pyramid "Virgine Stravecchio" - at times more expensive. As a sample, we will give an example from the middle price segment. The wine "Marsala Superiore Oro" (0,75 liters) from the house "Cantine Pellegrino" costs about 1,500 rubles in specialized stores.