L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 8 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16 2023 L'Italo-Americano F ew may recall the p r e c i s e d a t e o f M a y 1 1 , 1 8 6 0 , a pivotal moment when Giuseppe Garibaldi and his Thousand landed at Marsala, in the Trapani province. This event marked the beginning of the end for the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, paving the way for Italy's unification. Y e t , M a r s a l a ' s f a m e extends beyond its historical significance: it is globally cel- ebrated for its namesake wine, Marsala, introduced by English merchant John Woodhouse. In the year 1773, a s t o r m d i v e r t e d W o o d - house's course, leading him to seek shelter in the Sicilian town's port, near his intend- ed destination, Mazara del Vallo. It was here that Wood- house and his crew first sam- p l e d t h e l o c a l w i n e . T h e y found its taste strikingly sim- i l a r t o S p a n i s h a n d P o r - tuguese varieties, likely due to the aging process in oak barrels, and noted its popu- larity among the British. The B r i t i s h h a d l o n g b e e n a c q u a i n t e d w i t h S i c i l i a n wines, often visiting western Sicily's waters to stock up on essentials like water, provi- sions, and notably, the locally produced wines. For these operations, they employed schifazzi, specialized low- draft boats ideal for such pur- poses. It wasn't until over two centuries later, in 1987, that Marsala's vinous heritage was formally acknowledged. The town was designated the C i t y o f W i n e , a f i t t i n g homage to its legacy of craft- ing the exquisite sweet nec- tar. In 1833, Vincenzo Flo- rio, a businessman of Cal- abrian origin whose family had relocated from Calabria t o P a l e r m o , e n t e r e d t h e Marsala wine industry. Com- peting with, and eventually surpassing, the English, he founded the Florio Winer- ies, making Marsala wine a symbol of Sicily across the world. Thanks to its immense success, Marsala's production volumes soon exceeded those of the Ingham & Whitaker and Woodhouse wineries. Florio later acquired Wood- house's winery, becoming the leading producer of Marsala wine. Following Florio's lead, several other viticulturists took interest in this distinc- t i v e w i n e , w h i c h w a s declared Sicily's first DOC ( D e n o m i n a z i o n e O r i g i n e Controllata) wine in 1969. Yet, Marsala, the city of wine, is also renowned for its sea salt production. The landscape, dotted with wind- mills now restored for salt production, becomes particu- larly picturesque during the harvest of this precious com- modity. Small white moun- tains of salt line the ponds within the Riserva Natu- rale Orientata delle Isole dello Stagnone – one of e l e v e n d i s t i n c t n a t u r a l reserves in the province of T r a p a n i . T h i s r e s e r v e includes the charming and historically rich island of Mozia, with its archaeologi- cal remains and the Villa W h i t a k e r A r c h a e o l o g i c a l Museum. Situated on the western- most tip of Sicily, Cape Boeo i n M a r s a l a o v e r l o o k s t h e Egadi Archipelago, locat- ed approximately seven kilo- meters off the coast. This archipelago, known since ancient times, includes the l a r g e r a n d m o r e f a m o u s islands of Favignana, Levan- zo, Marettimo, and Mozia, as well as Maraone, Formica, Galera, Galeotta, Prevceto, Faraglione, and the Stagnone Islands. Its name, Aegates in L a t i n , d e r i v e d f r o m t h e G r e e k A i g a t a i , m e a n i n g "island of goats," and it is the s i t e o f t h e E g a d i I s l a n d s Marine Nature Reserve. The skies of this region teem with a variety of birds, both resident and migratory. Visitors can easily spot the short-toed snake eagle, the griffon vulture, the peregrine falcon, Bonelli's eagle, the black-winged stilt (particu- larly in Marettimo), the peli- can, the pink flamingo, the s t o r m p e t r e l , t h e y e l l o w - legged gull, the barn owl, the blue rock thrush (famously mentioned in a poem by Gio- vanni Pascoli), the imperial raven, and many others. Sicily is renowned for its exquisite cuisine, and this w e s t e r n m o s t p a r t o f t h e island is no exception. The bountiful surrounding seas contribute to a rich culinary heritage. Noteworthy dishes include fish couscous, mari- nated tuna, grilled sword- f i s h , a n d f r i e d t u n a r o e . Among the preserved foods, the highlights are red tuna drowned in olive oil, bottar- ga, and salted tuna. Howev- er, a recent addition to the Marsalan table is the blue crab, which has recently infil- trated the Italian seas. Ini- tially causing difficulties for local fishermen due to its voracious nature, the crab is now gaining culinary appre- ciation, thanks to the skill of local chefs who have started to incorporate it delightfully into their dishes. Turning back to Marsala and its vinicultural special- ties, one cannot overlook the locally produced vino nov- ello. Celebrated each year with tastings on November 10th, various local wineries honor this young wine with dinners and tastings. The Trapani branch of the AIS (Associazione Italiana Som- melier) also commemorated the occasion with a dinner at Piero Savalla's Molo22, locat- ed within the Marsala Naval League. Guests, in the pres- ence of AIS Sicily head Fran- co Rodriguez – a renowned expert in Sicilian historical, cultural, and wine-making heritage and a founder of the T r a p a n i A I S o v e r t w e n t y years ago – along with Tra- pani delegate Giuseppe Vult- aggio, owner of a splendid agri-tourism in Misiliscemi where AIS courses are con- ducted, indulged in a rich and refined menu. They had a choice selection of vino novello, including Tuscan and Trentino varieties, offer- ing a delightful challenge to the discerning palates. Delving into school mem- ories, one cannot forget that the Greeks, among others, revered Dionysus, the god of wine, an essential presence at all banquets. Even Homer, i n h i s e p i c w o r k s , m a k e s mention of wine. In the tenth b o o k o f t h e O d y s s e y , h e describes the wine of Pramn- ian (in Turkey), "…mixed with curdled milk, flour, and honey." This concoction was offered by the sorceress Circe to Odysseus' companions, intending to stupefy them a n d t r a n s f o r m t h e m i n t o pigs. In the ninth book, it's the "black wine" of Maroneia, T h r a c e ( G r e e c e ) , t h a t O d y s s e u s g i v e s t o t h e Cyclops, intoxicating him i n t o a d e e p s l u m b e r t h a t allows Odysseus and his crew a chance to escape. E v e n m u s i c a n d o p e r a could not resist the allure of wine. A fitting example, set in Sicily, is the aria from Pietro Mascagni's Cavalle- ria Rusticana, which goes: "Viva il vino che è sincero…" (Long live the wine that is sincere...) ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS PEOPLE ACTIVITIES Marsala: more than just wine TERESA DI FRESCO Marsala's saline, with a traditional windmill (Photo: Thevirex/Dreamstime) Marsala, Porta Garibaldi (Photo: Frank Bach/Dreamstime) and, bottom right, bottles of Marsala Florio (Photo: Cenzo/Dreamstime)

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