Curatolo Arini Marsala Fine NV
£11.95
The wine
A quality Marsala made in the traditional way, dry in style and carrying all the character of the region.
Fine is the entry classification, aged at least a year. Marsala was created by the English merchant John Woodhouse in 1773, fortified so it would survive the voyage home, and it made the fortunes of the port. Vergine is the driest style, aged at least five years with no added sweetening whatever, which is where its reputation ought to rest. Curatolo Arini have made Marsala at the western tip of Sicily since 1875, and the family still bottle in the traditional styles rather than the cooking wine the name became.
The producer
Curatolo Arini
View all Curatolo Arini winesCuratolo Arini is one of the oldest and most respected Marsala houses, founded in 1875 on the western tip of Sicily. For five generations it has produced the island's famous fortified wine, once the toast of Europe. Tradition and heritage run through everything it makes.
Marsala is made from Sicily's native white grapes, above all Grillo, with Catarratto and Inzolia in support. Grown under the intense Sicilian sun near the sea, the fruit is fortified and aged to build the wine's characteristic depth. The house also makes fresh, unfortified island whites.
In the cellar, the Marsalas are aged in oak to develop their nutty, caramelised complexity, from dry Vergine to sweet Dolce styles. The still whites, by contrast, are kept crisp and bright. Each wine is true to its Sicilian roots.
From a venerable 1995 Vergine Riserva to everyday Grillo and Catarratto, Curatolo Arini offers Sicily in a glass. Rich, warming Marsala and fresh island whites alike carry the sunshine of the south.
