Do you know when and how to drink Marsala?

Without doubt, Marsala is an unrivalled meditation wine, but it can also be appreciated on a host of other occasions. Eclectic and versatile, it offers us intense and enveloping sensations, for an original lunch or dinner, or for an aperitif with friends.

In this article, we will find out why this part that went to the angels is so important in creating the organoleptic profile of Florio Marsala wines.

Pairings for different types of Marsala

Aperitifs with high-quality ingredients, such as meat, fish and vegetables. Florio Marsala wines, each one different, are waiting to amaze and excite you!

1 Marsala Vergine

Let’s begin with Vergine, perhaps the least known type of Marsala. As it is fortified, by adding alcohol to the wine used to make Marsala, it is the driest version of Marsala. Marine and vertical on the palate, it is perfect for an unusual aperitif – with oysters and smoked fish or mature cheeses such as Parmigiano or Pecorino – but also throughout a meal with dishes from the land and sea. Would you ever have expected this?

It goes best with flavoursome seafood. Try our Marsala Vergine 2010 paired with fish crudités, bruschetta with anchovies, or with Burrata cheese and anchovies for an unforgettable sensation on the palate. This refined Marsala Vergine, aged in a small oak barrel for 13 years, 133 metres from the sea, is vibrant and extremely savoury on the palate, while citrusy, marine aromas and hints of the Mediterranean prevail on the nose. In short, it is a glass of wine that captivates.

And if you want to add new sensations to an already perfect gourmet experience, pair Marsala Vergine with succulent fried fish, linguine with sea urchins or crostini with tuna roe and yellow cherry tomatoes.

For an equally innovative aperitif, try it with a platter of cured meats, olives and, perhaps, a beef tartare. Wonderful!

2 Marsala Secco

A Marsala is called ‘Secco’ when its sugar content is less than 40 grammes per litre. It is obtained by fortifying the wine to be made into Marsala with alcohol, ‘mistelle’ (fresh must with alcohol) and cooked must. This Marsala lends itself to both land and sea pairings.

Soups, couscous and fish rolls, pasta with mussels and clams, spaghetti with cuttlefish ink, octopus and squid salad are all dishes that will acquire new hints of flavour when paired with a glass of Marsala Superiore Secco 2016, which has aged in wood barrels of various sizes at the Florio wine cellars for four years.

Clear and decisive on the palate, dominated by hints of toasted bread crust and elegant, light scents of acacia honey, it also pairs perfectly with meat dishes such as veal tenderloin, or with traditional recipes such as Parmigiana, saffron risotto and, for an unusual occasion, Sicilian ‘cunzatu’, i.e. seasoned bread.

Also try it with medium-mature or soft cheeses and you will not regret it.

3 Marsala Semisecco

When we talk about Marsala Semisecco we move into an intermediate category between dry and sweet. Defined by a residual sugar content of more than 40 g/l, but less than 100, it pairs well with a variety of dishes with a milder taste.

It is the perfect accompaniment to the sweet tang of pumpkin in various dishes, to green pea soup, onion soup, sweet and sour pork, and nuts.

Try it with aubergine ‘caponata’ for an aperitif with a truly Sicilian touch. For a more glamorous one, pair it with marbled cheeses such as Gorgonzola or Blue Cheese.

For a special dinner, pair Marsala Superiore Riserva Semisecco 2001 with tuna steak and caramelised onions, or with scallops au gratin. Or rather, with ‘sarde a beccafico’ (sardine roulades)! Forgive us, but it is so incredibly versatile that we struggle to choose our favourite recipe.

4 Marsala Dolce

And here we are with the best-known category of Marsala.

What can we say, no dessert can resist it. Chocolate, pistachio or fruit desserts, cream puffs with various creams or ganaches, and dark chocolate. It also exalts the queen of Sicilian desserts, ‘cassata’, as well as ‘cannoli’.

With its warm aromas of dates and honey, Superiore Dolce 2017 is the result of an artfully orchestrated journey by the oenologist, which gives it unforgettable energy, the very same for which it excels in even the most unexpected pairings… Try it with gorgonzola, but then you cannot say we did not warn you!

Are you still convinced that Marsala is only for the end of a meal?

Be daring and you will be rewarded with surprising experiences. We look forward to seeing you on Duca.Store to choose the Marsala for your next thrilling pairings.