Marsala is only used as a cooking wine

The producers of Marsala, Italy’s famous fortified wine have tightened production regulations for their wine and upgraded quality. The ridiculous, flavored Marsalas no longer exist, and the top wines — the Vergine and Soleras styles — are now regaining their rightful place among the world’s classic aperitif wines. The lower tiers of Marsala might still be more appropriate for cooking than sipping — depending on the brand, the cook, and the sipper — but the category as a whole is more genuine than it has been in recent history, and will probably improve further. (After all, Palermo wasn’t built in a day.)