Wine Grapes: Malvasia Family
Usually white and sometimes red or pink, Malvasia refers to a very large family of wine grapes planted in many Mediterranean countries, usually producing aromatic and often sweet wines. The name comes from the Greek medieval town and fortress Monemvasia, called Malvasia by the Franks. (But recent DNA studies suggest the grape Monemvasia is not related to Malvasia). The first mention of the grape is from 1214 by Nicolaos Messaritès. Starting in 1278, Venetian merchants helped disperse the wines, and especially the vines, throughout the Mediterranean.
Synonyms
The Malvasia family is quite large, and includes Avaregà, Malmsey, Malvagia, Malvasia Bianca, Malvasia Bianca di Bari, Malvasia Bianca di Basilicata, Malvasia Bianca di Candia, Malvasia Bianca di Toscana, Malvasia Bianca Lunga, Malvasia col Puntino, Malvasia del Carso, Malvasia del Chianti, Malvasia del Lazio, Malvasia delle Lipari, Malvasia d'Istria, , Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, Malvasia di Lipari, Malvasia di Sardegna, Malvasia Friulano, Malvasia Gentile, Malvasia Istriana, Malvasia Lunga di Trieste, Malvasia Nostrale, Malvasia Pugliese Bianca, Malvasia Puntinata, Malvasia Toscana, Malvasia Trevigiana, Malvasia Verace, Marmaxia, Uva Greca, Uva Malvatica, Zante Bianca,
The are also some red varieties of Malavasia: Fragermano, Malvasia a grappolo corto, Malvasia di Bitonto, Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco, Malvasia di Trani, Malvasia Nera di Candia, Malvasia di Casorzo, Malvasia di Schierano, Malvasia Negra, Malvasia Nera, Malvasia Nera di Bari, Malvasia Nera da Brindisi, Malvasia Nera di Lecce, Malvasia Rossa, Malvasier, Moscatellina, Roter Malvasier
The French name, Malvoisie, is misleading and should not be confused with Malvasia. Malvoisie does not refer to any single grape variety, but has been used for a wide range of white grapes. For example, in Switzerland, France's Loire and Savoy regions, and Italy's Val d'Aosta Malvoisie is really Pinot Gris (Pinot Grigio). In France, it is sometimes used for Bourboulenc, Clairette, Macabeu, Torbato, and Vermentino.
Where
Greece: Paros, Naxos, Santorini
Italy: Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Lombardy, Piedmont, Puglia, Sardinia, Sicily, Trentino-Alto-Adige, Tuscany, Umbria, Veneto
Portugal: Madeira
Spain: Basque Country, Canary Islands, Navarra, Murcia, Rioja
Also: Argentina, California, Croatia
Principal Wines
Italy: Piedmont: Collina Torinese DOC, Malvasia di Casorzo DOC, Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco DOC; Lombardy: Oltrepo' Pavese DOC; Veneto: Merlara DOC; Trentino-Alto-Adige: Alto Adige DOC; Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Carso DOC, Collio Goriziano DOC, Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC, Friuli Aquileia DOC, Friuli Isonzo DOC; Emilia-Romagna: Colli di Parma DOC, Colli Piacentini DOC; Tuscany: Colli dell'Etruria Centrale DOC, Pietraviva DOC; Umbria: Colli Amerini DOC; Lazio: Castelli Romani DOC, Colli Albani DOC, Frascati DOC; Abruzzo: Controguerra DOC; Basilicata: Matera DOC; Calabria: Bivongi DOC, San Vito di Luzzi DOC; Campania: Guardia Sanframondi DOC; Puglia: Gravina DOC, Lizzano DOC; Sicily: Malvasia delle Lipari DOC; Sardinia: Malvasia di Bosa DOC, Malvasia di Cagliari DOC
Portugal: Madeira (Since 1986, any wine named 'Malmsey' must contain at least 85% Malvasia)
Characteristics
There are so many wines and strains for Malvasia it's impossible to define its characteristics, but you'll often find:
Color: light to deeper straw yellow
Nose: Aromatic (similar to Muscat), Fruity (peach, apricot, bitter almond finish), Floral. The reds can have aromas of plum and chocolate.
Palate: Wines often have some residual sugar. Malvasia produces wines relatively high in alcohol, with good balance between the alcohol and acidity.
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