Marsala wine is a fortified wine made from grapes. It is made in Marsala, Italy. It is used in cooking, especially to make the sauce on chicken marsala. There are both sweet and "dry" tasting types of marsala wine.[1]
Place where it is made
Marsala wine is made in Marsala, Italy. Many countries only allow wine made in Marsala to be called "Marsala wine".[2][3] It is made by mixing grape brandy with wine and letting the mixture age in an oak barrel. This makes the wine have more alcohol in it and taste sweeter.[4]
History
The English merchant John Woodhouse went to Marsala in 1773 and liked the wine there. He sold it in England where it became very popular, making the wine famous around the worldwide.[5] Woodhouse knew that this process would help the wine to stay fresh during long journeys by boat. Woodhouse further believed that fortified Marsala would be popular in England. Marsala indeed proved so successful that Woodhouse returned to Sicily and, in 1796, began its mass production and commercialization.[6] Other merchants ended up selling Marsala wine in Europe and the Americas.[7]
