Marsala wine

Marsala is a fortified wine made around the Sicilian city of Marsala. It ranges from dry to sweet and can be aged through oxidative processes that give it distinctive aromas and color.

Grillo: A white wine grape native to Sicily, valued for aromatic wines and resistance to heat. Grillo is a principal grape in white Marsala, contributing body and aroma.
Grappa: An Italian spirit distilled from grape pomace, the skins and seeds left after winemaking. Grape spirit or brandy is added to Marsala to raise its alcohol content.
Marsala sauce: A savory sauce made with Marsala wine, commonly served with meat or poultry. Dry Marsala adds wine depth to the sauce named for it.
John Woodhouse: An English merchant credited with establishing Marsala wine’s export trade in the late eighteenth century. Woodhouse began shipping fortified Marsala to England in 1773.
Inzolia: A Sicilian white grape also known as Ansonica, used in dry wines and blends. Inzolia is among the traditional white grapes permitted for Marsala.
Perpetuum system: A fractional blending method that replenishes older wine with progressively younger wine. A traditional Marsala aging method blends wines across vintages in a continuous sequence.
Chicken marsala: An Italian-American dish of sautéed chicken served with a Marsala and mushroom sauce. The dish is among the best-known culinary uses of Marsala.
Benjamin Ingham: An English merchant who expanded Marsala wine production and trade in Sicily. Ingham helped build Marsala’s nineteenth-century export industry.
Catarratto: A widely planted Sicilian white grape used in fresh wines and traditional blends. Catarratto can contribute to white Marsala alongside Grillo and Inzolia.
Oxidative aging: Wine aging that allows controlled exposure to oxygen, producing nutty flavors and darker color. Marsala’s characteristic aging often develops through oxygen exposure in casks.

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