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Unfortunately there is no information about Marsala DOC available.
Marsala DOC

Description to Marsala DOC

DOC area for fortified wine in the Italian region of Sicily. It is one of the most famous dessert wines in the world and is named after the port city of the same name (Arabic Marsah-el-Allah = port or gate of God) in the province of Trapani. The zone, with over 5,000 hectares of vines, covers the entire province of Trapani, with the exception of the island of Pantelleria, which is off the coast of Sicily and belongs to it, as well as the municipalities of Alcamo and Favignana. In 1770, the English merchant and wine expert John Woodhouse came to Marsala and began exporting Sicilian wines to England because the demand for port and sherry there exceeded the supply. The year of the "invention" is 1773, when Woodhouse added eight litres of wine spirit to each of the 400-litre barrels destined for England. He had already been involved in the production of port wine in Portugal. In 1796, he opened the first Marsala House in Marsala, consisting of a warehouse and cellar. The English Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805) contributed to its success by ordering an annual supply of 500 barrels for the fleet in 1800. In 1812, the Englishman Benjamin Ingham founded a second company in Marsala and also exported the wine to North America and Australia. The largest Marsala house still in existence, Florio, was opened in 1832 by Vincenzo Florio. All three companies were eventually taken over by the vermouth house of Cinzano in 1929.

DOC regulations

The DOC regulations of 1969 still allowed flavouring with ingredients such as bananas, eggs, cinchona bark, strawberries, almonds, cream, coffee etc.. Especially the "Marsala all'Uovo" added with egg yolk was popular. These types, called "Marsala Speciale", even had their own DOC status. The sometimes quite adventurous mixtures ultimately contributed to the bad image. Strongly restrictive DOC regulations were enacted in 1994. The special forms were no longer allowed to be called Marsala and the permitted additives and methods were strictly regulated. The basic product for each type of Marsala is a different blend of the white wine varieties Ansonica (Inzolia), Catarratto Bianco, Damaschino and Grillo, as well as the red wine varieties Calabrese (Nero d'Avola), Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio and Pignatello (Perricone).

Marsala - Flaschen/Marken und 3 Gläser

There are three colour types: Oro (white, golden), Ambra (white, amber) and Rubino (ruby, amber with age). For all Oro and Ambra types, the four white grape varieties are blended in any mixture, for all Rubino types the three red (70-100%) and the white varieties (up to 30%). The wines are vinified in the sweetness grades secco (dry, residual sweetness below 40 g/l), semisecco (semi-dry, 40 to 100 g/l) and dolce (sweet, over 100 g/l). Since 1984, only the two types Fine and Superiore may have "Mosto cotto" (cooked, thickened must) added for sweetening and/or "Sifone" (spritzed must). Abbreviations for the type of production are sometimes included on the label.

Marsala types

Due to the stricter DOC regulations introduced from 1984 onwards, there was a short-term renaissance, but in the meantime the traditional wine seems to have slowly fallen into oblivion again. Production volumes have fallen sharply. The Vergines/Soleras types are now only available in small quantities. On the label, after the product name, are listed: Variant, colour and sweetness level; for example, "Marsala Vergine Stravecchio Oro Secco"

Fine

The most common type in terms of quantity enjoys a rather low reputation in terms of quality, as the simplest wines are produced for the most part. The maturation period is at least one year, although this does not have to be in barrels. The alcohol content must be at least 17% vol. I. P. (Italy Particular) may be indicated on the label.

Superiore and Superiore-Riserva

The ageing period in wooden barrels is at least two years and for Superiore Riserva at least four years. The alcohol content must be at least 18% vol. For the most part, these wines are vinified sweet (dolce). The label may state SOM (Superior Old Marsala), LP (London Particular) or GD (Garibaldi Dolce).

Vergine / Solera

In the case of the highest-quality type of Marsala, wines from different vintages and qualities are artfully blended with each other, similar to the solera system in sherry. Sweetening and spritzing are prohibited in comparison to the other two types. It is also the only type that is only vinified in "secco". The alternatively used additional designations Vergine and Solera, as well as Riserva and Stravecchio have the same meaning. The maturation periods in the barrel are at least five years; for Vergine (Soleras) Stravecchio or Vergine (Soleras) Riserva at least ten years. The alcohol content is at least 18% vol.

Producers

Well-known producers are (with some historical wineries): Marco de Bartoli, Donnafugata (no longer producing), Florio, Pellegrino and Rallo. Bartoli does not even list the designation "Marsala" on the label of its top product "Vecchio Samperi" in Vergine quality (no DOC status), but markets it only as simple Vino (formerly Vino da Tavola). The reason is disagreement with the competent authorities.

Bottles: By Dedda71 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Glasses: By Christina Snyder - originally posted to Flickr
as Wine Tasting at Marsala 2, CC BY 2.0, Link

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