The occurrence of varieties named “Malvasia” in Piedmont, likely with white grapes, has been attested since 1468 in the Statutes from Mondonio (Comba et al., 1990). G.B. Croce, in his “Della eccellenza e diversità dei vini...” (1606), besides mentioning a “Moscatello nostrale” (i.e. local Muscat, likely White muscat), also devoted one paragraph to a “Malvasia similmente nostrale” (i.e. a Malvasia similarly local) which describes with dense and elongated berries, good for table consumption and for wine making, that turns out sweet and fragrant like the grapes. This short description indeed reminds the today’s Malvasia moscata.

A significant information comes several decades later from France by Jean Merlet (author of the Abrégé des Bons Fruits ,1667) who among other muscat varieties mentioned a “Muscat de Malvoisie” or “ Malvoisie musquée” characterized by a relevant muscat flavor widely grown in the surroundings of Turin.

A century later the count Giuseppe Nuvolone (1798) included a White Malvasia within the grapes reputed of high quality for wine.

The first complete ampelographic description of this variety is by Demaria and Leardi (1875), who mentioned the synonym ‘Malvasia greca’ (Greek Malvasia) as a possible “sub-variety”.

Although the decline of this grape cultivar according to Demaria and Leardi (1875) was already ongoing at the end of 1800 when it was replaced by White muscat, its cultural relevance is proved not only by the many historical references but also by its today’s occurrence in different (often  distant) areas of the region. Several vines were in fact recovered (as single plants or part of rows) in the surroundings of Alessandria, Asti, Pinerolo, Chieri and even in the northern part of the region, indicating a widespread presence in the past.

While declining in Piedmont, this variety (likely introduced by immigrants from Piemonte) moderately developed in California, where accounts today more than 500 ha (Robinson et al., 2012) under the name of Malvasia bianca.

Dry wines produced with Malvasia moscata exhibit high quality potential: in the strong, peculiar aroma, scents of rose, honey and acacia flowers prevail; the well balanced taste is not spoiled by the bitter finishing typical of many muscat grapes when giving dry wines. It can be used as aperitif, but sweet dessert wines even from dried grapes could be obtained.

In the New World it is used for sparkling wines, for adding floral scents to Chardonnay or for dessert wines (Verdegaal, 2003). More recently it is also used for dry varietal wines, rich in aroma and flavor, showing a certain viscosity on the palate (Robinson et al., 2012).