Marsala

Marsala wine has always been a mystery to me. It's one of the first varietals that I became familiar with thanks to it being used in cooking so much, but I can honestly say I don't think I've ever drank a bottle of the stuff. Cooked with it? Sure. But sipped it . . . not so much. That being said, I found this article from TeatroNaturale to be extremely interesting and enlightening. Providing both a historical context for the wine, as well as how it's made and labeled, this piece works like an "everything you need to know about Marsala wine in ten minutes or less" guide. If you're interested in impressing friends with some oenophile themed trivia, this is a must read.

From the article:

The area around the city of Trapani is made up of what wine lovers call the Province of Marsala wine. Only here Marsala wine can be produced, aged, and bottled. Here, the sun shines two hundred and fifty days a year, with gentle sea breezes from the south constantly tempering the island’s prolific heat. The temperature range is critical for this vine that produces grapes with rich and strong fragrances and sugars, all thanks to its deep roots in the fertile red Sicilian soil. Sweet, semi-dry and dry are its tastes. Gold, amber and ruby are its colours: a question of taste.