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The Sicilian fortified wine Marsala has become a cooking staple around the globe, regularly used by chefs and home cooks to add nutty depth to a variety of dishes. But there’s so much more to Marsala wine. We think it deserves to be celebrated as a delicious wine in its own right, rather than relegated to kitchen cupboards.
Like Sherry and Madeira, Marsala wine is made in a range of styles and is a wonderful sipping wine when served at the right temperature in the right glassware with the right food. In this guide you’ll find out how this wine is made, what it tastes like and the best ways to enjoy it.
What is Marsala wine?
Marsala is a fortified wine made from native Sicilian grapes grown in the small town of Marsala, in the province of Trapani, on the west coast of Sicily.
Blessed with an abundance of sunshine, cooling coastal breezes and fertile soils, the Trapani region provides the perfect growing conditions for the local star grapes needed for Marsala: Grillo, Inzolia, Catarratto and Damaschino.
While Marsala has been made in Sicily since the late 18th century, it wasn’t until 1969 that the region became a Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC), helping to guarantee quality.
Put simply: if it doesn’t come from Sicily … don’t trust it.
How Marsala wine is made
Like other fortified wines such as Sherry, Port and Madeira, Marsala is made by adding a neutral distilled grape spirit to a base wine to increase its alcohol content (typically between 15 and 20% ABV). This ‘fortifies’ it to extend its shelf life.
Fortified wines’ origins in port cities such as Porto and Marsala lie in their ability to survive long sea voyages. This meant they could be exported to popular drinking hubs such as the UK.
Marsala comes in a range of sweetness levels. The point at which the grape spirit is added to the base wine during winemaking affects the sweetness level of the Marsala, as this determines how much residual (leftover) sugar there is in the wine when it’s fortified.
All Marsala wines go through a period of oak ageing. This is often done in a similar way to the making of Sherry, in which small amounts of fortified wine from newer barrels are added to wines from older barrels in order to create complex multi-vintage blends.
Styles of Marsala wine
No one-trick pony, Marsala is made in a variety of styles and can spend up to a decade resting in oak before being bottled.
Marsala comes in three colours: Amber, Ruby and Gold. And three sweetness levels: Dry Marsala wine, Semi-Sweet and Sweet.
Most Marsala wines are made in Gold and Amber styles and get their colour from the oak ageing process. A caramelised grape called ‘mosto cotto’ is added to Amber styles as a sweetener, while red grapes Perricone, Nero d’Avola and Nerello Mascalese are used to make the fruitier Ruby Marsala. These Ruby styles tend to be more structured than the sweeter styles due to the tannin from the red grape skins.
At the driest end of the spectrum, Secco Marsala wine contains less than 40g of residual sugar per litre, while Semi-Secco (semi-sweet) styles have between 50 to 100 g/l of sugar. Sweeter still, Dolce Marsala wines boast over 100 g/l of sugar.
When it comes to barrel ageing, Marsala wines spend anything from a year to a decade in the barrel, gaining character and complexity as they age. Marsala is split into five different quality levels by time spent in the barrel:
Fine – spend at least a year in barrel, making them a great introduction to the category with their vibrancy and lower alcohol levels.
Superiore – see at least two years in oak, giving them a lovely balance of youthfulness and depth.
Superiore Riserva – spends at least four years in barrel, leading to more complex notes of honey and dark chocolate.
Vergine/Soleras – spend at least five years in barrel and are made in a dry style, with nutty, savoury, smoky notes.
Vergine/Stravecchio – spend over a decade in oak with no added sugar, resulting in complex Marsala wines with notes of toasted hazelnuts similar to those found in amontillado Sherries.
What does Marsala taste like?
Like all fortified wines, the taste and flavour profile of Marsala is diverse, with sweetness levels and time in oak influencing its character.
Amber Marsala tends to offer notes of roasted nuts, while Ruby styles are fruity in character. Gold Marsala fills the glass with sweeter notes of vanilla and brown sugar.
With the best Marsala wine, you’ll enjoy a kaleidoscope of flavours from dried apricots and walnuts to honey, tobacco and liquorice. You can taste the local area in the wines too. Marsala’s coastal influence adds a touch of saltiness, while the volcanic soils give minerality in the Gold, Secco and Vergine wines.
How to serve Marsala wine
The perfect temperature to serve Marsala depends on the style that you’re pouring. Dry Marsala styles shine brightest when served slightly chilled, between 10-12°C, while sweet and aged Marsala expresses itself best at a slightly warmer temperature of around 14-16°C.
While Marsala is traditionally served in small wine glasses either as an apéritif at the start of a meal or an after-dinner digestif. But if you’re keen to make the most of all the complex flavours in dry Marsala then choose a white wine glass, which will allow the Marsala to breathe and all of its aromas to be fully appreciated. Sweeter styles sing in narrow-mouthed Port glasses or brandy snifters that concentrate the aromas.
Once open, Marsala stays fresh for four to six months if kept in the fridge. So now might be time to check the cupboards and treat yourself to a new bottle.
Best food pairings for Marsala
Given its diversity of styles and sweetness levels, Marsala is a great food-pairing wine that goes with an array of dishes. Often served alongside nuts and dried fruits, the dry styles match well with tangy blue cheeses such as Gorgonzola and Stilton, hard cheeses such as Pecorino and Parmigiano-Reggiano, and salty snacks such as smoked fish, olives and anchovy crostini.
The sweeter styles make for decadent dessert wines that pair a treat with everything from tiramisu to chocolate torte. They can also hold their own with richer savoury dishes, such as roast chicken, mushroom risotto and recipes with creamy sauces. Ruby Marsala can handle heartier pasta and meat dishes, as well as rich desserts.
Cooking with Marsala wine
While we encourage you to enjoy Marsala outside of the confines of a saucepan, it’s an undeniably brilliant cooking wine and well worth experimenting with in the kitchen.
You can cook with any style of Marsala, but entry-level Fine and Superiore Marsala wines in the Gold and Amber styles will suit most recipes.
Dry Marsala imparts appealing nutty notes to savoury dishes such as mushroom risottos and helps to caramelise meaty mains like beef tenderloin.
The sweeter styles come into their own in Italian desserts such as tiramisu and zabaglione. But it can also play a starring role in creamy dishes like chicken Marsala – bathing pan-fried chicken and mushrooms in a rich, nutty, savoury-sweet sauce that’s hard to resist. It’s also a wonderful glaze for vegetables and a must-have when you need to deglaze your pan.
Our top tip for making any Marsala sauce? Allow it to simmer for a while to burn off the alcohol and concentrate the flavours.
