Rare Victorian Silver Wine Label 'Marseilles'

A rare Victorian silver Wine Label of broad rounded rectangular form with double thread border, incised for Marseilles. (Probably a misspelling of Marsala).

The family of Woodhouse started to revive Sicily's wine industry in the 1770's and introduced Marsala to this country in 1773, but no labels with the name are known before the end of the century. The popularity that it then gained undoubtedly owed much to Admiral Lord Nelson. He had large quantities bought for the Fleet and it found fame in England as a consequence. In 1799 Nelson was created Duke of Bronte by the King of Naples in recognition of his delivery of Sicily from Napoleon. Bronte was adopted by the Woodhouse firm as a name for their Marsala Wine and used to market it for the first half of the 19th century. Marsala is sometimes spelled with an 'e' and sometimes with an 'i' and it has many variants including Marcella or Marseilla. Penzer considers these more likely to be variants of Marsala than to refer to some local wine from the Marseilles area in France.

By George Richards, London, 1847.

Sold - £350.00