Marsala wine Marsala wine Marsala is a wine, dry or sweet, produced in the region surrounding the Italian city of Marsala in Sicily. Marsala first received "Denominazione di Origine Controllata" (DOC) status in 1969. The DOC status is equivalent to PDO: most countries limit the use of the term "Marsala" to those wines that come from the Marsala area, to which the European Union grants Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status. While the city's natives sometimes drink "vintage" Marsala, the wine produced for export is universally fortified similar to Port, Madeira and Sherry. Originally, this addition of alcohol was to ensure that
Italian cruiser Marsala Otranto Barrage—a patrol line of drifters intended to block Austro-Hungarian and German U-boats. "Marsala" was the only Italian cruiser with steam up in her boilers when word of the Austro-Hungarian attack reached Brindisi. The British cruisers and departed first, along with five Italian destroyers. "Marsala", the flotilla leader , and three destroyers followed thereafter. "Marsala" briefly engaged the fleeing Austro-Hungarians in the Battle of the Otranto Straits, before Acton broke off the pursuit and ordered a return to port. Following the end of the war in November 1918, the "Regia Marina" demobilized; severely reduced naval budgets—the result of a weakened