Marsala Wine

I'm planning to cook a pasta dish this week that calls for marsala wine. I just stopped on the way home at the liquor store right off of the brooks exit, and they didn't carry it... let alone know what it was (tried to sell me Huber's sweet red wine instead. Is there anywhere, preferrably out near the Brooks/Hillview area that might have marsala wine? I was kind of surprised not to be able to get it there.

[Robin Garr]

I'm planning to cook a pasta dish this week that calls for marsala wine. I just stopped on the way home at the liquor store right off of the brooks exit, and they didn't carry it... let alone know what it was (tried to sell me Huber's sweet red wine instead. Is there anywhere, preferrably out near the Brooks/Hillview area that might have marsala wine? I was kind of surprised not to be able to get it there.

Stacey, the Liquor Barns in the East End have a couple of different Marsala wines, so the one on Fern Valley Road might. You may want to call first.

They guy's advice actually made sense insofar as he recommended a sweet wine, but Marsala has that nutty oxidized character that makes all the difference. If you can't get Marsala, substitute either a Cream Sherry or a Tawny Port - the real Tawny Port from Portugal is pretty expensive, but you can get Australian versions that are a little more reasonable.

On the recommendation of Cook's Illustrated, I use only Florio Marsala, Sweet, and I do make a lot of chicken/veal marsala and also use it on baked fish. I buy it at Prospect Party Store but I am sure that it is available at most liquor stores. It has a wonderful nutty flavor without being overly sweet. Hope you can find this brand.

Robin,
Any idea on how a Cream Sherry should keep? Like wine or like distilled spirits? I bought a nice bottle of Armada for a recipe yesterday (Chorizo, chickpea and chicken stew- really yummy!), but don't know if I need to use it up soon.

Deb

[Robin Garr]

Robin,
Any idea on how a Cream Sherry should keep? Like wine or like distilled spirits? I bought a nice bottle of Armada for a recipe yesterday (Chorizo, chickpea and chicken stew- really yummy!), but don't know if I need to use it up soon.

Deb, I'd say in-between. Distilled spirits will keep essentially forever, and as you know, table wine changes for the worse pretty fast after you open it. Cream Sherry and Tawny Port have two things going for them: Relatively high alcohol for wine, and maybe more important, they're already "oxidized" which in these rare cases is not a bug but a feature.

In the fridge, it ought to stay good for cooking for weeks and maybe even a couple of months. A year would be iffy. Bottom line, sniff it, and if it doesn't smell good, pitch it. But as you know, it won't spoil in any way so as to become hazardous to your health.

Robin,
Any idea on how a Cream Sherry should keep? Like wine or like distilled spirits? I bought a nice bottle of Armada for a recipe yesterday (Chorizo, chickpea and chicken stew- really yummy!), but don't know if I need to use it up soon.

Deb, I'd say in-between. Distilled spirits will keep essentially forever, and as you know, table wine changes for the worse pretty fast after you open it. Cream Sherry and Tawny Port have two things going for them: Relatively high alcohol for wine, and maybe more important, they're already "oxidized" which in these rare cases is not a bug but a feature.

In the fridge, it ought to stay good for cooking for weeks and maybe even a couple of months. A year would be iffy. Bottom line, sniff it, and if it doesn't smell good, pitch it. But as you know, it won't spoil in any way so as to become hazardous to your health.

Thanks, Robin. That's what I thought, but I wanted to ask the expert. Hadn't thought about refrigeration- great idea! ( Meanwhile I'll look for more recipes using Cream Sherry )
Deb

There are indeed 2 marsala wines.
The sweet Florio is what you want.
Great Marsala sauce.