The story behind Florio
Cantine Florio was founded in 1833 by Vincenzo Florio, a Calabrian entrepreneur who built his cellars in the town of Marsala on Sicily's western coast. Those cellars hold more than 3,000 oak casks over tufa floors, some steps from the Mediterranean, and the sea air does real work on the wine. Barrels near the water stay cool and humid and give lighter, fruitier profiles; barrels further inland lose more to evaporation and concentrate into caramel, toasted nuts, and spice.
Florio broke the British monopoly on Marsala and made it an Italian icon. The white wines are mostly Grillo, often with Catarratto, fermented in concrete and fortified with grape spirit. Every bottle is DOC certified.
Explore the Florio range
Florio makes Marsala in tiers, and the tier tells you how long it slept in oak. Here is what we stock and what each one does.
| Expression | Type | Proof / ABV | Tasting notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florio Dry Marsala 375mL | Secco, half bottle | 18% ABV | Nutty, savory, bitter almond finish; aperitif and pan sauce |
| Florio Sweet Marsala 375mL | Dolce, half bottle | 18% ABV | Caramel, honey, dried fruit; desserts and sipping |
| Florio Dry Marsala 750mL | Secco, full bottle | 18% ABV | Austere and saline; oysters, aged Pecorino, chicken marsala |
| Florio Sweet Marsala 750mL | Dolce, full bottle | 18% ABV | Round and warm; dark chocolate, blue cheese, zabaglione |
| Florio Marsala Superiore Secco | Superiore, up to 30 months oak | 18% ABV | Amber, spice driven, walnut and bitter almond |
| Florio Marsala Superiore Riserva | Riserva, 4 years minimum | 18% ABV | Deep caramel and wood spice; collector tier |
| Florio Marsala Vergine Riserva | Vergine, 5 to 10+ years | 18% to 19% ABV | Dry, saline, smoky nuts; the most serious pour |
Which Florio is right for you?
The half bottles are the smart way in. Florio Dry Marsala 375mL runs $6.99, and the Sweet 375mL is the same $6.99, so you can try both without committing to a full bottle. Step up to the 750mL and the Dry is $11.99 while the Sweet is $12.99. That is real Marsala money, not cooking wine money, and the difference shows in the glass. Older Superiore and Vergine bottlings sit higher, and they are worth it when you want to sip rather than sauce a pan.
Splash it into chicken marsala and mushrooms, then pour the rest with dinner.
Pours over dark chocolate and blue cheese, and outlasts the meal in the cabinet.
A $6.99 half bottle to learn the style before buying the big one.