Malvasia

Malvasia are very common in southern countries different red and white grape varieties, mainly from Italy, Spain, Portugal and Croatia. Many of these varieties are ancient Greek origin. In Lower Austria and Germany also the breakfast Roter Veltliner is sometimes referred as. The official name in Germany is past red Malvasia.

The fact that the grape was once also common in Germany, shows the student song "This was the dwarf Perkeo " (Words: Joseph Victor von Scheffel, 1851 Melody: Stefan Gruwe, 1862): " Perkeo rose to the basement; he was no longer herfür and drew about fifteen years at rhein'schen Malvasia. "

Today, according to statistics of the growing German Winegrowers' Association ( DWV) of 2009 is still grown on 3 acres in Germany.

The type name is derived from the name of the Greek city of Monemvasia in the Peloponnese, which was an important trading center and fortress of the Byzantine Empire in the Middle Ages.

Originally, the Malvasia wine is probably from Asia Minor and was brought in ancient times from the island of Crete from the world, where the white Malvasia di Candia is expanded still sweet today. Even dry it is mainly developed from the winery Douloufakis. The island of Crete and other parts of Greece thus represent the most primitive and oldest varieties (see Malagousia ). Greece is widely accepted as the origin of some Malvasia varieties.

In Mallorca, the red variety Malvasia has a special meaning. In the time of the Moors until the 19th century, mainly grown in Banyalbufar, this grape yielded a sweet, aromatic dessert wine, brisk demand from other European royal courts and enjoyed as received " the wine of kings " the nickname. Even Shakespeare's Falstaff appreciated this wine and Thomas Mann in Buddenbrooks can get Malvasia from the basement a " Bouteille ". Archduke Ludwig Salvator ( called Mallorca S'Arxiduc ) praised the wine because of its palatability and its health-promoting effect.

On the Aeolian Islands ( Sicily before ) is made ​​from the grape Malvasia di Lipari the same liqueur wine Malvasia delle Lipari produced, which is mildly sweet and higher percentage and a golden yellow color. Also, a variety of the famous fortified wine Madeira liqueur from the island of the same name is produced from a Malvasia grape, where it is called Malmsey.

Along with the grape variety Trebbiano Malvasia grape in Tuscany, next to two red wine grapes, used in Chianti. The winemakers have been around for several years on the addition of white wine vines in Chianti omitted (since 2006, the use entirely prohibited ) and to find use for the excess of Malvasia and Trebbiano grapes, a new wine was invented - the IGT White Wine Galestro.

From dried grapes of Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera ( Malvasia Nera di Basilicata, Malvasia Nera di Brindisi and Malvasia Nera di Lecce) also a syrupy Würzspezialität Vincotto is obtained.

Both the Greeks and the Romans appreciated the sweet and heavy taste of Malvasia wine very much. Even his appreciation to the early 20th century was based precisely on this character. Since these flavor but today is out of fashion and the wine also tends to oxidize, it is across the board from a low level on the decline. He is losing his last Stark Area Italy ( 50,000 ha) because it is itself displaced as a component of mixed wines (eg Frascati) due to its non- contemporary character. He is replaced mostly by the Trebbiano. A similar development is taking place in Spain, where he was the traditional grape variety for the slowly maturing in oak barrels Rioja. There he is displaced by the fresh tasting Viura. His last stable refuge is the Vino Santo, where the heavy sweet character is formative. But also on La Palma, for example, Fuencaliente and Villa de Mazo, Malvasia is grown. Introduced in 1500, it has been exported since the mid-16th century from here to England and to many European royal courts.

In Italy there are a plethora of grape varieties that are associated with the family of Malvasia: important representatives are the Malvasia Bianca Lunga, Malvasia Bianca di Basilicata, Malvasia Bianca di Candia, Malvasia Istriana, Malvasia del Lazio, Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, Malvasia di Lipari and Malvasia di Sardegna.

Varieties of Malvasia and synonyms are: Malvasia, Malvasia, Malvasia, Malvaziya or Malagousia.