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Question: What do marsala and beaujolais have in common? Answer: They both have a history of success followed by disaster and a fight for recovery. Also, in both cases, the disaster was self-inflicted by a race to the bottom.

In the case of beaujolais, it took the form of beaujolais nouveau. It was a catchy new name for the local vin de primeur, which had always been a big part of beaujolais production. It wasn’t all bad wine, but the very successful post-war marketing hype did nothing to encourage better wine and overshadowed the far superior bottlings of the northern highlands – now home to the ten great crus such as Fleurie, Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent. Only now is the market getting back into balance.

The marsala story is more complicated (and therefore interesting). It was recounted this week by Abbie Bennington, Chair of the Association of Wine Educators, in her masterclass Magic of Marsala at WSET in Bermondsey.

Marsala was put on the map in the 18^th century by an English wine merchant, John Woodhouse. Arriving at Marsala on the west coast of Sicily, he was taken by the local wine. He decided to fortify it to preserve it during the slow sea journey to England – just like his other trades: port, madeira and sherry. It is said that Woodhouse used unmarked barrels so that he could pass it off as madeira on arrival and sell it at madeira prices.

Just like these three other wines, madeira comes in a range of sweetness levels but, unlike them, it can be artificially sweetened. This is done by the addition of mosto cotto – cooked grape must – an ancient Italian syrup otherwise used in Italy as we might use sugar syrup, maple syrup or treacle, for sauces, desserts and glazes; it is also the base for traditional balsamic vinegar.

So far, so good. Marsala became very popular; and it was issued alongside rum to Nelson’s fleet in 1798 for his Mediterranean campaign against Bonaparte. It reached peak volume in the 19^th century but, like beaujolais, it was a victim of its own success. Plantings and production were greatly expanded and poor wine began to be made. As for Madeira, excess production was legally adulterated with salt and pepper and sold for use in cooking.

But the final nail in the coffin came much more recently. In 1969, Marsala Speciale DOC was created. It was cheap marsala flavoured with such additions as egg yolk, strawberries, bananas, almonds, coffee, you name it. It has to be the most unusual DOC ever created. The first of these concoctions – Marsala all’Uovo – was the most popular. But like beaujolais nouveau, short-run sales success came at the price of degrading the brand’s image. The DOC was expunged in 1994 and such products may no longer use the name Marsala on the label.

Where does all this leave marsala today? Quality-wise, very strong. There remain at least five traditional producers: Curatolo Arini, Florio, Marco de Bartoli, Martinez and Pellegrino. They are not all easy to source, but Abbie had succeeded by some effort in putting together eight excellent wines (below). Most of them were non-vintage as they are multi-year blends; this reflects the original local name vino perpetuo, forerunner of sherry’s solera system. But there were two vintage wines and we tasted across the sweetness levels and ageing regimes, with grissini, olives, almonds, figs, Monte 27 (Montevecchio) and Gorgonzola Cremoso in delicious support.

By the third glass we were already in the hands of the gods – in this case Florio’s winemaker Tomaso Maggio, who all but lives in his cellar, and merely needs to tap each barrel to know the state of its contents. My personal favourite – and the group’s, though not by a wide margin – was wine 7, Pellegrino’s Old John Riserva Ambra 1998. My nose found a complex mélange of marjoram, oregano and something leesy, while the equally but differently complex palate was supported by a touch of extra acidity that will keep this wine nicely cruising along for many more years yet.

This was a rare and memorable opportunity to taste across the range of makers and styles of marsala and to learn why and how these wines differ. The only sad note was the absurdly low retail prices, reflecting the loss of market. Wine generally is in decline, fortified wines more so, and marsala’s chequered history does not help. Yet the brand is still strong. Abbie asked us tasters for points of salience and usage, and that was easy: in cocktails and apéritifs, with salumi (charcuterie), in cooking sauces, zabaglione and tiramisú, or with the nibbles and cheeses on our plates at WSET. That is as much versatility as port, sherry or madeira. Let us wish the makers and the DOC success in their efforts to reinvigorate this remarkable piece of the wine world, and many thanks to Abbie and WSET for doing their bit.

The wines

Superiore Old Marsala NV, Pellegrino

Superiore Garibaldi Dolce NV, Martinez

Secco Superiore Riserva NV, Florio

Superiore Semisecco Riserva NV, Florio

10-year-old Superiore Riserva NV, Curatolo Arini

Vergine Riserva 2000, Pellegrino

Old John Riserva Ambra 1998, Pellegrino

Superiore Dolce NV, Curatolo Arini