Modern Marsala: How an Italian classic rediscovered its verve and attitude

Western Sicily is never entirely at rest. The land is shaped by limestone plateaus that sit above subterranean pockets of fresh rainwater, while the ongoing tectonic tension between the African and Eurasian plates means that earth tremors are a familiar feature of life.

The island of Sicily itself has undergone upheavals and constant evolution throughout its history, marked by centuries of conquests. At its far-western tip, the fortunes of Marsala (from Marsa Allah, meaning ‘Harbour of God’ in Arabic) were shaped by the seafaring British empire, which brought its wines global reach during the 19th century before they began to fall out of favour in the latter part of the 20th.

Today, like the land itself, Marsala is in motion once again, with a new generation of wine producers leading a quiet renaissance that reframes the narrative through quality, authenticity and innovation. They are blowing off the dust and reintroducing Marsala as a source of wines worthy of the modern table.

Marisa’s pick of the best of modern Marsala below

Marsala’s new-era style wines

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