Marsala

Bestwine • Online presents a selection of marsala wines chosen by the chefs and sommeliers of Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants. Discover the bottles of marsala most commonly offered and served at the world's finest tables. You'll also learn about the history of marsala, an authentic Italian wine. Find the best marsalas Discover marsalas selected by the chefs and sommeliers of Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants. A selection by credible and legitimate professionals to help you find your favourite marsala. Buy the best marsalas We guide you towards the most attractive commercial offers and promotions online. You can buy the best marsalas with complete confidence thanks to a reliable and impartial reference. Best marsalas With Bestwine • Online, the reference for the best marsalas: Enjoy one of the best marsalas. Give an exceptional bottle of marsala as a gift. Enhance your bar or cellar with a prestigious bottle of marsala. Find the restaurants where you can taste rare marsala references. Explore all the information you need to understand marsala and its particular features so you can easily choose your brand or bottle of marsala. Marsala Vecchio Samperi, Ventennale - Marco de Bartoli Marsala on the wine list of 3 Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants Buy marsala Best marsala brands Refer to the opinions of the chefs, sommeliers and bartenders of Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants worldwide to discover the best marsala brands. A ranking and comparison of the most highly valued marsala brands and bottles in Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants by experts specialised in haute cuisine. Marsala brandMarsala ageMarsala originMarsala typeRestaurant Marsala Superiore Riserva - Marco De Bartoli10 years The best marsalas on the wine lists of Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants. Marsala Marsala takes its name from the Sicilian town it comes from. A wine fortified as dry or as a liqueur wine, marsala is therefore a common noun describing wines whose grapes are harvested and then matured in the sun for several hours to maximise sugar concentration. This production method is similar to that of Sherry, the Spanish wine. Marsala can also be compared to port as a fortified wine. To qualify for the marsala designation, the wine must comply with specific standards. Marsala must be produced and bottled in Sicilia and specifically in the province of Trapani, with the exception of the Alcamo region and the islands of Pantelleria, Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo. Marsala must be aged in oak barrels to obtain this designation. Marsala must respect a defined production area and production criteria. The controlled designation of origin (Denominazione di origine controllata) was granted to marsala in 1984. Italian marsala should not be confused with French marsala. French marsala is an unofficial term used to describe an almond-flavoured wine of French origin. However, French marsala had to change its name for legal reasons following the DOC granted to Italian Marsala. Yet in popular culture, the term marsala is still used to describe a French almond-flavoured wine. History of marsala Like red wine, the origin of marsala and its date of creation are unknown. It was in 1773 that marsala was popularised by John Woodhouse, an English merchant who landed on the island of Sicilia. Marsala was once called Perspectum. Sharing strong similarities with the fortified wines popular at the time, such as port and Sherry, it was greatly appreciated by the merchant, who introduced it to England. The English of the era thus discovered this Italian fortified wine with Mediterranean roots. Following this success, the English merchant settled in Sicilia in 1796 to set up his own company to produce and market marsala. Marsala then became a fortified wine known worldwide, reaching the United States and Australia, and its production grew steadily. Classification of marsala There are 2 types of marsala: White marsala: white marsala is produced from various grape varieties that yield white grapes (Grillo, Catarratto bianco comune, Catarratto bianco lucido, Inzolia and Damaschino). White marsala is a young marsala. As a general rule, white marsala is no more than 2 years old. The light colour of white marsala comes from the fact that it does not age long in oak barrels. The wood essence does not dissolve in the beverage and only lightly colours it. White marsala is fresher and lighter than red marsala but offers less aromatic power. White marsala has a pale yellow, golden or amber hue depending on its ageing time. Red marsala: Red marsala is produced from red grape varieties (Pignatello, Calabrese, Nerello mascalese, Nero d'Avola). Red marsala owes its colour to the oak wood essence that makes up the barrels in which it is stored. During ageing, the wood essence dissolves into the marsala, giving it a brownish hue with red highlights. Young marsalas produced with the Nero d'Avola grape are also called ruby marsala. Marsala is categorised by its sugar content: Dry marsala: dry marsala contains less than 4 grams of sugar per litre. Dry marsala benefits from less sun exposure than amabile marsala. Amabile marsala (or semi-sweet): amabile marsala contains between 4 and 12 grams of sugar per litre. Amabile marsala benefits from greater sun exposure than dry marsala, which boosts the sugar content. Marsala is also categorised by its age: Marsala Fine: marsala aged one year, containing at least 17% alcohol. Marsala Superiore: marsala aged 2 years and containing at least 18% alcohol. Marsala Superiore Riserva: marsala aged 4 years and containing at least 18% alcohol. Marsala Vergine Soleras: marsala aged 5 years and containing at least 18% alcohol. Marsala Vergine Soleras Riserva or marsala Soleras Stravecchio: marsala aged 10 years, containing at least 18% alcohol and containing no additives other than wine alcohol or brandy. Production of marsala Marsala is produced from grapes. They first undergo alcoholic fermentation and maceration to create alcohol during the winemaking stage. Next comes the ageing stage, when the marsala matures in oak barrels and is finally bottled in 75cl bottles. Marsala is captivating in its authenticity. It is an alcoholic beverage typical of the Italian and Sicilian terroir. Its fruity taste gives it floral aromas. Marsala is also captivating in its appearance. It is worth noting that the term marsala designates a colour. A colour reference that alludes to the warm hue of marsala. The colour marsala can be described as red-brown. Marsala is therefore a warm wine whose taste and tone evoke the sun captured throughout the life of the grape. Both sophisticated in its flavours, which differ from one estate to another, and simple in its clear visual aspect, the reputation of marsala extends beyond Italy's borders. From marsala emerge the sun-drenched Sicilian lands and the spray of the Mediterranean Sea. Today, marsala is served at the tables of many fine dining restaurants around the world, not just in Italy and Sicilia. Drinking marsala Marsala has its place throughout a meal. As a wine, marsala can be enjoyed as an aperitif. It can pair with food, particularly red meats. Marsala also pairs very well with dessert. Its sweet taste allows it to harmonise with pastries and other sweet desserts. Marsala is also used to make desserts. Many chefs incorporate marsala to flavour tiramisu, cannoli or zabaglione. Marsala can also flavour sauces or butter. The bartenders of Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants also create original cocktails based on marsala. There are many marsala brands today, in other words marsala producers. Among the marsala brands: alagna, Alcesti, Arini, Buffa, Colombo, Fici, Florio, Frazzitta, Giarola, Intorcia, Lazzaroni, Lombardo, Marco de Bartoli, Martinez, Opici, Pellegrino, Rallo, Sperone and Vito Curatolo Arini. Most of these marsala brands have existed for several decades. Some brands produce marsala industrially while others make marsala by hand. Quite often, marsala brands offer other alcoholic beverages made from the grapes they cultivate. The price of an entry-level bottle of marsala is around ten euros. The best bottles of marsala, namely those that undergo long ageing, cost several dozen euros. For a good cheap marsala! Bestwine • Online, the wine and spirits list of Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants, aims to allow internet users to discover and taste the finest bottles of Marsala. To make it easier for internet users searching for the best marsalas to choose, Bestwine • Online lists all marsala references offered by Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants. The chefs, sommeliers and bartenders who build the wine lists and choose the various marsalas are trustworthy professionals when it comes to identifying the best marsalas. Indeed, these taste professionals work constantly to uncover rare gems in the world of marsala. Sommeliers in particular meet winegrowers at the marsala-producing estates in Sicilia. Marsala is also a story of people, and every bottle of marsala served at the table of a Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant is a tribute to the work done during the harvests and winemaking. Thanks to the experience of haute cuisine professionals, you can access an original selection of marsalas. You are thus assured of tasting an excellent bottle thanks to this list, and all that remains is to form your own opinion on each bottle to choose your favourite marsala. An authentic ranking and comparison to choose your marsala Choose the best marsala for you: Select one or more selection criteria for your marsala based on your preferences. Rank the marsalas according to your selection criteria. Select your marsala reference. Buy one of the best marsalas online at the best price. Enjoy one of the best marsalas! The selection of premium marsalas How are marsalas selected on Bestwine • Online? Bestwine • Online lists the marsalas found on the wine lists and in the cellars of the most famous and recognised fine dining restaurants around the world. Marsala references championed by the greatest chefs and sommeliers of fine dining, themselves praised by the critics. Only marsala references sold online are presented to you, so you can buy them easily. How is the reference list of the best marsalas updated? The reference list of the best marsalas is updated daily by adding new references from the wine lists of fine dining restaurants made available to us. Likewise, we update the commercial offers and promotions to allow you to buy a quality marsala online at the best price. We are committed to presenting only marsala references taken from the wine lists of award-winning fine dining restaurants. n