Malvasia: Back to Winemaking – Back to Grapes – Back to Countries
Top thirteen grapes:
Reds – Cabernet Franc – Cabernet Sauvignon – Malbec – Merlot –
Whites – Chardonnay – Gewürztraminer – Muscat –
Pinot blanc – Pinot gris – Riesling – Sauvignon blanc
Next twenty-five grapes:
Reds – Barbera – Carignan – Gamay – Grenache – Mourvèdre – Petit Verdot –
Sangiovese – Tannat – Tempranillo – Touriga Nacional – Zweigelt
Whites – Albariño – Aligoté – Arinto – Chenin blanc – Malvasia –
Müller-Thurgau – Muscat-Ottonel – Sémillon – Tămâioasă Românească –
Traminer – Ugni-blanc – Viognier – Welschriesling
– and Cava
| Malvasia: There is ambiguity about the origin of this variety, with some suggesting he northwest coast of Italy, others suggesting instead Iberia and Italy, and a complex web of grape varieties. Others suggest that it is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. In the past, the names Malvasia, Malvazia, and Malmsey have been used interchangeably for Malvasia-based wines; however, in modern oenology, Malmsey is now used almost exclusively for a sweet variety of Madeira wine made with the Malvasia grape.  Image source: decanter.com The name Malvasia actually comes from the Italian name Monemvasia, a Greek medieval and Byzantine fortress on the coast of Laconia; the town’s port acted as a trading centre for wine produced in the eastern Peloponnese and perhaps in some of the Cyclades. |
Taste/smell: Jancis Robinson suggests that it has an intensely nutty character, with notes of orange peel and dried fruits. wine-folly.com mentions notes of almond, basil, flowers, peach and seashell  Image source: wine-searcher.com Varieties/Mutations Malvasia Bianca is the main sub-variety and has many offspring of its own. There are also a further number of confusingly named, yet unrelated, regional varieties named Malvasia. Malmsey wine is made from various members of the Malvasia group on the Portuguese island of Madeira in the North Atlantic. Madeira Bual confuses matters somewhat. The Bual (or Boal) grape variety is also referred to as Malvasia Fina in official documents. However it is unrelated to the Malvasia family. | Description: DNA analysis suggests that the Athiri wine grape (a variety widely planted throughout Greece) is ancestral to Malvasia. A more recent analysis frpm Portugal suggests that Boal Cachudo (Boal da Madeira) shares the same DNA profile as Malvasia fina of the Douro.  Image source: vinha.co.uk Shoot tips have ‘cobweb-like’ hairs on them. Young leaves are green with bronze-red highlights. Adult leaves are five–lobed with lyre-shaped overlapping of the petiolar sinus. It has jagged teeth and its lower surface has moderately dense hair. Clusters are medium-sized and conical. The berries are medium- sized, round and yellow to oily brown when ripe. |
| Malvasia producing countries: Big Five Producers: (overall 42% of vineyards, 64% of wine production and 41% of wine consumption – OIV 2022) Spain: Canaries, Catalonia, Rioja France: some in Corsica Italy: Apulia, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lipari, Lombardia, Piedmont, Puglia, Sardinia, Sicily, USA: Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas Chile: not detected Next Ten Largest Producers: (with big five, responsible overall for 75% of vineyards, 88% of wine production, 64% of wine consumption – OIV 2022) Argentina: not detected Australia: Granite Belt, Riverland, Swan Valley, Tasmania China: not detected Germany: not detected India: not detected New Zealand: not detected Portugal: Beira, Dão, Douro, Lisboa, Madeira, Távora-Varosa Romania: not detected South Africa: not detected Turkey: not detected Others countries: Brazil, Croatia, Greece (Crete, Cyclades, Peloponnese), Slovenia (Istria) | Grape is also known as: Alicante Espagnol du Dao, Blanca-roja, Blancarroga, Blanco Fino, Blanquirroja, Cagazal, Dona Branca, Früher Roter Malvasier, Iuvarella, Lavarela Verdana, Malmsey, Malvasia, Malvasia bianca del Chianti, Malvasia bianca piemonte, Malvasia Comun, Malvasia de Colares, Malvasia de la Rioja, Malvasia de Rioja, Malvasia del Lazio, Malvasia di Candia, Malvasia fina, Malvasia Puntinta, Malvasia Riojana, Malvasia Rosso, Malvasier, Malvazija, Malvazija Bela, Malvoisie, Masovy Hrozon, Monemvasia, Monemvassia, Moscato greco, Rojal, Sarga Malvazia, Suavidad, Subirat, Subirat Parent, Tobia, Toloca, Uva de Arroba, Uva Greca, Verdana, Verdana, Verdeja |
Image source: glossary.wein.plus/malvasia
Malvasia: Back to Winemaking – Back to Grapes – Back to Countries
Top thirteen grapes:
Reds – Cabernet Franc – Cabernet Sauvignon – Malbec – Merlot –
Whites – Chardonnay – Gewürztraminer – Muscat –
Pinot blanc – Pinot gris – Riesling – Sauvignon blanc
Next twenty-five grapes:
Reds – Barbera – Carignan – Gamay – Grenache – Mourvèdre – Petit Verdot –
Sangiovese – Tannat – Tempranillo – Touriga Nacional – Zweigelt
Whites – Albariño – Aligoté – Arinto – Chenin blanc – Malvasia –
Müller-Thurgau – Muscat-Ottonel – Sémillon – Tămâioasă Românească –
Traminer – Ugni-blanc – Viognier – Welschriesling
– and Cava
