...And to drink?
We’ve just come back from western Sicily, where we enjoyed our first holiday away from our two-year-old daughter (thanks, Mum!). The trip combined romance and research for my forthcoming book about the British and alcohol. Sicily has been dominated by foreign powers for most of its history. What’s not so well known is that briefly during the Napoleonic Wars the island was occupied by the British. There’s little to see from this period beyond some incongruous Georgian ruins, but you can taste it in the fortified wine, Marsala.
Florio Terre Arse Marsala Vergine 2001, £12.25: www.farehamwinecellar.co.uk
Much Marsala is so awful I wouldn’t even cook with it. Happily, there are still some producers making the real thing from Grillo – the traditional grape. This is perhaps the best commercial Marsala on the market. It’s vergine, which means it’s unsweetened and tastes like a good amontillado sherry, but with bitter oranges thrown in.
Marco De Bartoli Marsala Superiore 10-yearold, £41.99: www.selfridges.com
This is gorgeous – I could smell it all day. There are oranges, cinnamon, caramel and lots and lots of almonds. It’s smoother and more harmonious than the Terre Arse.
Rallo Bianco Maggiore Grillo 2012, £16.50: www.fortnumandmason.com
As Marsala is so unfashionable, most Grillo grapes are now used to make table wines, and the results can be excellent. This smells of lemons and the ocean. It’s very fresh and dry.
Caruso e Minini Perricone 2012, £8: M&S Here’s a really good juicy red made from the native Perricone grape. There’s lots of spice, plummy fruit and a little tannic bite.
Florio Terre Arse Marsala Vergine 2001, £12.25: www.farehamwinecellar.co.uk
Much Marsala is so awful I wouldn’t even cook with it. Happily, there are still some producers making the real thing from Grillo – the traditional grape. This is perhaps the best commercial Marsala on the market. It’s vergine, which means it’s unsweetened and tastes like a good amontillado sherry, but with bitter oranges thrown in.
Marco De Bartoli Marsala Superiore 10-yearold, £41.99: www.selfridges.com
This is gorgeous – I could smell it all day. There are oranges, cinnamon, caramel and lots and lots of almonds. It’s smoother and more harmonious than the Terre Arse.
Rallo Bianco Maggiore Grillo 2012, £16.50: www.fortnumandmason.com
As Marsala is so unfashionable, most Grillo grapes are now used to make table wines, and the results can be excellent. This smells of lemons and the ocean. It’s very fresh and dry.
Caruso e Minini Perricone 2012, £8: M&S Here’s a really good juicy red made from the native Perricone grape. There’s lots of spice, plummy fruit and a little tannic bite.