Its’ all in the grapes; so it has been said.
Catarratto, grillo and Inzolia are the three primary grapes that make up
Marsala wine. These grapes blended together create a port like wine referred to
as Marsala wine.
Marsala is made in the “solera” tradition;
meaning a melding of years. First a keg is filled with wine from the current
vintage of grapes. Later vintage wines with similar taste are placed in kegs
above the current keg. When liquid is drawn from the bottom of the oldest keg,
it is refreshed with wine from the next keg and so on. The taste remains the
same with every bottle of wine (potentially) the same as the first.
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Marsala is a city in the west section of Sicily,
the island near the foot end of Italy. In 1798 the Sicilians managed to
substitute their own wines in place of the standard rum in an English naval
shipment. In those seafaring days, something had to be done to wine to allow
it to last the long ocean journeys. Brandy was added to allow the wine to last
longer, and to be more resistant to temperature changes. These were called
"fortified wines."
Once the British tasted Marsala wine the demand
grew. In the United States during prohibition Marsala wine was bottled to
look like medicine. This made it less risky to get wine. Although not as
popular now for drinking, Marsala wine is still used in cooking.
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Through a melding of the years ( solera),
blending together three bold grapes and fortifying the wine; marsala wine had a
great shelf life, gave a better kick, was readily available and tasted great.
That’s enough to make anyone happy! What
else could we want but to meld the years of our life into a blended taste of
experience fortified with wisdom?
Sicily is a vast wealth of culture influences by
the Arabs, the Europeans, the Greeks and the Romans. Many legends abound. One
is worth remembering. Zeus had a son named Dionysus the God of fertility, joy
and well being. Dionysus left the kingdom and headed for Sicily with the root
of a grape vine. To carry the vine safely he first planted it in the bone of a
bird, then the bone of a lion and finally the bone of a donkey. The vine
flourished and so did the following saying; "A good glass of wine makes you light
as a bird, another drink and you are courageous as a lion, but when you
exaggerate with wine, you end up an ass!"
Sharing with joy and well being a glass
or two of a good wine with an appreciation for the culture, nature and history
of the things we consume makes tipping a glass or two a happy moment. Smile, be
happy and enjoy!
Recipes for Health, Sex, Happiness and Love By Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com
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