Grape Variety: Muscat of Alexandria

Colour: White

Muscat of Alexandria is a white wine grape that is a member of the Muscat family of Vitis vinifera. It is considered an “ancient vine”, and wine experts believe it is one of the oldest genetically unmodified vines still in existence. While today it is mostly cultivated as a table grape or for raisin production, it is still an important grape in the Australian and South African wine industry. It is also cultivated very heavily on the island of Samos, in the North Eastern Aegean region of Greece, and reputedly Cleopatra drank muscat wine from there. It is also thought to rival the French Beaume de Venise in its most refined form. In Spain, the grape is used for wine around Málaga, Alicante, Valencia, and the Canary Islands. The grape originated in North Africa, and the name is probably derived from its association with Ancient Egyptians who used the grape for wine making

Introduced by the Arabs during their domination, vine cultivation and the production of wine rapidly developed throughout Sicily.

Until the middle of nineteenth century the production of grapes was of marginal importance for the local economy. In the course of years, by improving the productive techniques finally a high quality production was reached.

Zibibbo, (the name comes from the Arab word zibib that means grape) aka Muscat of Alexandria, flourishes on the remote black volcanic plug of Pantelleria which is marooned between Sicily and the north coast of Africa. Battered by coruscating hot winds the island is home to low trained vines that yield the most fragrant, muscat-scented grapes. Integrale is a project pioneered by the de Bartoli family who have been experimenting with organic viticulture and low sulphur. (The other wines in this range include a Grecanico and a Grillo). Here the Zibibbo is harvested in early-to-mid August to capture the acidity in the grapes (the variety can be flabby and prone to maderisation without this vital component). The colour is clear lemon yellow, the nose is pretty - white flowers and orange blossom – but totally without confection. The wine slips delicately onto the tongue, teasing with citrus and mandarin and white grape essence, fills the mid palate, but, instead of dispersing as Mu-scatty wines are wont to do, it leaves a flickering smokiness to remember it by.

The cultivation technique of Zibibbo is incidentally of Arabic origin also, involving the construction of thousands of stone walls in order to create the farming terraces: towards the end of summer one can see clusters of grapes being dried under the warm sun of the Mediterranean in order to produce an optimal raisining.

This “Passito” style wine, with its inevitable amber colour, has a remarkably wide and dense fragrance, sometimes like dried figs, candied fruits and dates with flavours of orange blossom, apricot, honey and caramel. Bukkuram, Marco de Bartoli’s Passito di Pantelleria, is 100% Zibibbo, raisined and with some age. Legend has it that Apollo himself was successfully wooed by the goddess of love, Tanit, when she substituted Moscato from the volcanic island of Pantelleria for his daily ambrosia.

Muscat of Alexandria makes a short, but brilliant appearance in Mas de Daumas Gassac’s vin de folie called Vin de Laurence. This is a double fermentation of Sercial with Muscat à Petits Grains (these grapes are harvested in October when roasted and shrivelled). Yields are a severe 10hl/ha.  It is amber in colour and tastes of cooked oranges, sweet apricots and cloves with a hint of garrigue honey.