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The Malbo Gentile grape is a red wine variety with mysterious origins, yet it has long been cultivated in Emilia-Romagna. Once overlooked, it has been re-evaluated in recent years and is now recognised for its significant oenological value. Malbo Gentile is appreciated for its ability to produce both high-quality sparkling wines and rich, structured still wines. It is often vinified alone, but also commonly used in blends with local Lambrusco varieties, enhancing complexity and character.
This versatile grape is also employed in the production of young wines through carbonic maceration, a winemaking technique that emphasizes fruitiness and freshness. Malbo Gentile’s black, medium-sized berries have a bluish, waxy skin and grow in large, loosely packed clusters. The vine features medium-sized, pentagonal leaves, typically three-lobed or entire.
Wines made from Malbo Gentile are known for their intense ruby red colour, pleasant fruity aromas, and bold, structured palate. Thanks to its robust body and tannic backbone, Malbo Gentile is a wine that not only delights when young but can also age gracefully, revealing further depth and complexity over time.
The name Malvasia refers not to a single grape, but to a diverse family of grape varieties, most of which are white, cultivated throughout Italy’s many wine regions. These varieties may differ in origin and appearance, yet they are united by a number of shared characteristics that have made Malvasia grapes popular in the production of aromatic wines for centuries.
Known for their intensely fragrant profiles, most Malvasia grapes display spicy, musky aromas, often with distinct notes of apricot, peach, honey, and floral undertones. Many also contain a naturally high level of residual sugar, giving the wines a fuller body and making them particularly suitable for crafting sweet wines, passito styles, and sparkling wines, as well as some aromatic dry whites.
One of the most widely planted varieties in the group is Malvasia Bianca, especially prevalent in southern Italy, where it is often blended with other indigenous grapes to bring aromatic lift and roundness to the wine. It is also found further north in Friuli Venezia Giulia, where it is vinified into fresh, perfumed white wines with good acidity and finesse.
Over the centuries, different regions have developed their own distinctive Malvasia expressions, such as:
Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, known for its intensely perfumed wines in Emilia-Romagna
Malvasia di Lipari, native to the Aeolian Islands and ideal for sweet, sun-dried wines
Malvasia Istriana, grown in Friuli and Croatia, often used for crisp dry whites
Malvasia Nera, a red-berried member of the family used for blending in southern red wines
Despite their differences, these grapes all contribute to Italy’s winemaking heritage with their expressive aromas, versatility, and distinctive charm. Whether you're sipping a sweet dessert wine or a crisp, floral white, there's likely a Malvasia behind the glass.
Malvasia Bianca di Basilicata is a fragrant white grape variety native to southern Italy, belonging to the historic Malvasia family. The name Malvasia derives from Monembasia, a Byzantine fortress perched on a rocky promontory in the southern Peloponnese, famed for producing sweet wines that the Venetians exported throughout Europe under the name Monemvasia. The popularity of these wines led to the establishment of Venetian taverns called Malvase, dedicated specifically to their enjoyment.
Closely associated with the Basilicata region, Malvasia Bianca di Basilicata is primarily used in blends with other indigenous grape varieties, where it imparts lively acidity and a distinctive aromatic bouquet. Classified among the Malvasie aromatiche, this grape is prized for its intense fragrance and contribution to wine complexity.
Ampelographically, Malvasia Bianca di Basilicata produces small, round white berries with waxy skins that exhibit shades of green, yellow, and pink. The grape clusters are medium-sized, cylindrical to conical in shape, and relatively loose, accompanied by large leaves.
Wines made from Malvasia Bianca di Basilicata are typically pale straw-colored with a strong, pleasant aroma and a smooth, balanced flavor profile. Its aromatic character and refreshing acidity make it a valuable component in white blends and a contributor to the unique wine heritage of Basilicata.
Many varieties are indicated with the name Malvasia, mostly white grapes, geographically distributed a bit all over Italy. Although from different backgrounds, all these varieties share some basic features: in fact they all have a spicy fragrance of musk and apricot and rather high residual sugar. These features make the group of Malvasia particularly suitable for the production of sparkling wines and sweet wines.
The grape Malvasia di Lazio, like other Malvasia grapes, belongs to the family whose name comes from a variation of Monembasia, a Byzantine stronghold rooted on the rocks of a promontory situated in the south of the Peloponnese, where sweet wines were produced and then exported throughout Europe by the Venetians with the name of Monemvasia. The wine made from this variety had become extremely popular, so much that Venice was full of taverns named Malvase, designed for its consumption.
The grape Malvasia del Lazio, also called Malvasia Puntinata, owes its name to the fact that it is widespread in Lazio, where it is mainly grown in the production areas of DOC Marino and Castelli Romani. It is mistakenly confused with the Malvasia di Candia and Malvasia del Chianti.
Its remarkable sensitivity to most vine diseases has prompted many manufacturers to replace it with Malvasia of Candia, more resistant but of lower quality. However, it is not rare to find excellent wines made exclusively with Malvasia del Lazio.
The berry is white, medium, spheroid with medium pruinose and consistent skin of yellowish color with dots and brown spots. The bunch is medium-large, pyramidal, winged, sometimes tapered, tight or semi-loose with a medium-large, orbicular, three-lobed or five-lobed leaf.
The Malvasia di Lazio prefers hilly terrain, well exposed. The grape Malvasia del Lazio has good and constant production.
The grape Malvasia del Lazio gives a golden yellow wine. The scent is slightly aromatic with fruity notes of apricot. In the mouth it tastes fresh and discreet.
The grape Malvasia di Casorzo, like other black Malvasia grapes, belongs to the family whose name comes from a variation of Monembasia, a Byzantine stronghold rooted on the rocks of a promontory situated in the south of the Peloponnese, where sweet wines were produced and then exported throughout Europe by the Venetians with the name of Monemvasia. The wine made from this variety had become extremely popular, so much so, that Venice was full of taverns designed for its consumption named Malvase.
Another document of those years quotes the wine “malvaticus”, made with black Malvasia, produced in Cyprus and also marketed in Piedmont. In 1468, in Mondonio there was the first mention of Malvasia vineyards.
The vine Malvasia di Casorzo is cultivated in the municipality of Casorzo in the province of Asti. Malvasia di Casorzo is also a sweet and aromatic DOC red wine made with at least 90% of the same grapes and the remaining can be Freisa, Grignolino or Barbera. The wine color ranges from cherry to ruby red and is also made in the sparkling version as well as a velvety sweet version
The Malvasia di Casorzo is an aromatic Malvasia black grape, its berry is black, medium, and ellipsoidal with waxy, blue skin. The bunch is medium, cylindrical, with wings, very sparse with a medium, pentagonal leaf.
The grape Malvasia di Casorzo has medium vigor and its production is not regular, it is inconsistent, partly because of the very sparse cluster that sometimes determines a sharp decline in yields.
The grape Malvasia di Casorzo produces slightly aromatic wines with a fine and intense nose, balanced.
The Malvasia di Lipari was brought to Lipari and the Aeolian Islands (the volcanic archipelago of the north-eastern coast of Sicily) by the Greeks.
The white grape Malvasia di Lipari, like other white Malvasia grapes, belongs to the family whose name Malvasia comes from a variation of Monembasia, a Byzantine stronghold rooted on the rocks of a promontory situated in the south of the Peloponnese, where sweet wines were produced and then exported throughout Europe by the Venetians with the name of Monemvasia. The wine made from this variety had become extremely popular, so much that Venice was full of taverns named Malvase, designed for its consumption.
The grape Malvasia di Lipari was about to disappear, and its current fame is due only to the passion of some producers who have given new life to the vineyards and fame to this wine.
Malvasia di Lipari gives a nice dry white wine, but the Malvasia delle Lipari Passito (DOC) is of a greater fame. This sweet wine has a strong and appealing flavor that ranges from hazelnuts and wild flowers. It is also produced in a liquor version. Malvasia di Lipari is one of aromatic Malvasia.
The berry is white, medium or small, sub-round or spheroidal with tender and thin skin, slightly waxy, of golden yellow flesh and a sweet and aromatic flavor. The bunch is medium, cylindrical or cylindrical-conical, easy, medium loose with a medium, rounded, five-lobed leaf.
The grape Malvasia di Lipari has good vigor and time of average maturity. Its low resistance to disease means that productions are scanty and irregular.
The grape Malvasia di Lipari, generally vinified after drying, gives a golden yellow wine. It has sweet and delicate scent, with notes of honey, ripe apricot and tamarind.
Malvasia di Schierano is an aromatic black grape variety native to Piedmont, with cultivation concentrated in the province of Turin, where it plays a key role in producing the sweet and often lightly sparkling Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco DOC wines. Like other grapes in the Malvasia family, its name derives from Monembasia - a historic Byzantine fortress in the southern Peloponnese - where sweet wines were made and widely exported across Europe by the Venetians under the name Monemvasia. These wines became so popular that Venetian wine taverns known as Malvase emerged specifically for their enjoyment.
Historical records also mention "malvaticus" wine, made from black-berried Malvasia grapes grown in Cyprus, which was traded and eventually established in northern Italy. The first documented evidence of Malvasia di Schierano vineyards in Piedmont dates back to 1468 in Mondonio, highlighting its deep-rooted connection to the region’s winemaking heritage.
Ampelographically, Malvasia di Schierano is a medium-vigour vine with moderate yields. It features black, medium-large berries with violet-blue skin, medium-small, loose clusters, and five-lobed, pentagonal leaves.
The grape yields wines that are typically cherry red, sweet, and aromatic, known for their fine, floral aromas and soft, elegant palate. It is often vinified as a frizzante (lightly sparkling) or spumante (fully sparkling) wine, sometimes blended in small percentages with Freisa to enhance structure. While its aromatic intensity is slightly lower than Malvasia di Casorzo, Malvasia di Schierano is prized for its delicate balance of fruitiness, floral notes, and natural sweetness, making it a favorite among lovers of sweet red wines.
The Malvasia Istriana, also known as malvasia bianca, malvasia friuliana, malvasia del Carso and malvasia d'Istria is a semi aromatic, white grape variety widely planted in Friuli Venezia Giulia, the cultivation dates back to 300 dc and the neighbouring Veneto, part of the Malvasia family of Greek origin.
Malvasia Istriana is a grape easy to grow and has tolerate well cold winters, early frosts and windy sites, probably one of the reason it has found its perfect habitat in Friuli.
Wines made with Malvasia Istriana have straw yellow color, a medium acidity with potentially high alcohol and their style varies depending of the area and the producer, they go from light and fresh to full-bodied, soft and luscious. Malvasia Istriana wines tend to be fresher than wines from most other ‘Malvasias’ and have a distinctive nose with floral notes. On the palate, wines made with Malvasia Istriana are normally fresh but can, when aged, produce fine and complex wine.
Malvasia Nera is a dark-skinned grape variety within the broader Malvasia family, traditionally known for its aromatic white grapes. Unlike its white counterparts, Malvasia Nera is used in the production of red wines, offering winemakers flexibility in crafting dry, sparkling, sweet, and even passito and rosé wines. It is a highly adaptable grape, though it is more commonly used in blends rather than as a single-varietal wine.
Malvasia Nera is grown in several regions across Italy, but its expression varies by terroir. In Piedmont, it is one of the few regions where varietal Malvasia Nera wines are regularly produced, often resulting in fragrant, fruity reds with soft tannins. In Apulia (Puglia), Malvasia Nera plays an essential role in traditional blends, especially when combined with Negroamaro, adding aromatic lift and softness to the structure of more robust reds.
The wines produced from Malvasia Nera are generally light to medium-bodied, with a flavor profile that includes notes of cherries, plums, dark berries, and chocolate. Some examples may exhibit herbal or floral hints, depending on the winemaking approach and region. When vinified into sweet or passito wines, Malvasia Nera can develop rich, dried fruit and spice notes, adding to its complexity and appeal.
Thanks to its versatility and aromatic profile, Malvasia Nera continues to be a valued blending grape across Italy, though in recent years it has also gained attention for its potential as a standalone varietal, particularly in the hands of innovative winemakers.
Malvasia Nera di Basilicata is a distinctive red grape variety native to southern Italy, belonging to the renowned Malvasia family whose name traces back to Monembasia, a historic Byzantine fortress located on a rocky promontory in the southern Peloponnese. This fortress was famous for producing sweet wines that the Venetians exported across Europe under the name Monemvasia. The widespread appeal of these wines led to the establishment of Venetian taverns called Malvase, dedicated to their consumption.
Historical records also reference “malvaticus” wine made from black-berried Malvasia grapes cultivated in Cyprus and marketed in southern Italy, indicating the variety’s extensive Mediterranean influence. Malvasia Nera di Basilicata is believed to have been introduced to the Basilicata region from neighboring Puglia, sharing many viticultural and ampelographic traits with Malvasia Nera di Brindisi.
This grape produces small, oval berries with thick, consistent black-blue skins that contribute deep color and tannic structure to wines. The grape clusters are medium-small, cylindrical, and moderately compact, while the leaves are medium-small and pentagonal in shape.
Malvasia Nera di Basilicata is primarily used in blended red wines and occasionally in rosé production. Its wines are known for their ruby red color, firm tannins, and good structure, adding complexity and depth when combined with other local varieties. While rarely vinified as a single varietal, Malvasia Nera di Basilicata remains a valued contributor to the rich and diverse wine heritage of southern Italy.
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