1960 The U K B G Guide to Drinks (3 rd edition revised)

WINES OF ITALY

In making Marsala, musts of the Catarratto and Inzolia varieties of grape are fermented dry. This is then sweet ened with a dark caramellized grape concentrate made by boiling grape juice down in open kettles. The sweetened wine is then fortified to about 17%-24% alcohol. It is treated in a similar manner to sherrj.', but is matured out of doors, where it gets the torrid heat of summer and the cold nights of winter over a period of three to four consecutive years, when it is then considered fit to drink. Various descriptive terms are given to the wine,these are:

L.P. .. .. London Particular. C.O.M. .. .. Choice Old Marsala. O.P. .. .. Old Particular. S.O.M. .. .. Superior Old Marsala.

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