Malvasia Bianca (White Malvasia) is a dominant member of the Malvasia family of grapes. It has been likened to Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains. Both varieties are the principal members of their extended clan, produced in a wide array of wine styles and both have distinctive grapey aromas. Malvasia Bianca is used to produce dry, sweet, sparkling and specialty wines. There are numerous regional synonyms for Malvasia Bianca, reflecting the range of environments in which it is grown, such as California's Central Coast to the hillside vineyards of the Balkans. However, it is not yet grown to any commercial extent in the Southern Hemisphere. Malvasia Bianca vines are of medium to high productivity and produce yellow-brown grapes with low to medium acidity. When vinified dry, the resulting wine can be very clean and crisp. However yields must be restricted to retain flavor concentration. Made in sweeter, or off dry styles, Malvasia Bianca shows ripe pear flavors backed by honey notes and a touch of spice. In Sicily, Sardinia and the Aeolian Islands, Malvasia Bianca is commonly produced in the semi dried passito style. This is an involved procedure that intensifies the flavors of the grapes and changes the wine's color to more amber and golden tones. In Chianti, Malvasia Bianca is blended with Trebbiano to produce Vin Santo. Malvasia Bianca is also grown in Croatia, Slovenia, Portugal, Spain and the USA.
The Canary Islands (or Las Canarias) archipelago is an autonomous community of Spain in the North Atlantic Ocean, located 70 miles (110km) off the west coast of Morocco. The wine trade here is far from famous – little local wine makes it out of the Canaries at all – but there is a long and reasonably idiosyncratic winemaking tradition in the region. The dramatic, lofty Canary Islands sit at a latitude of roughly 28°N – making them the most tropical of Europe's wine regions. It is thanks to this position, once criss-crossed by naval trade routes, that the local wine industry first flourished – not long after the islands came under Spanish control in the early 15th Century. The region's famed sweet Malmsey wine, made from the Malvasia grape, was hugely popular with the English, Dutch and Germans, but its popularity didn't last. Today, very little of the local wine is exported, due to strong local demand and a thriving tourism industry. Ten areas were officially granted DO status in the 1990s and early 2000s. The Canary Islands are perhaps best known for their otherworldly landscapes and warm temperatures that draw millions of tourists every year. Spectacular razor-sharp cliffs, golden sand dunes, seemingly endless coastline and the lunar-like volcanic terrain of Lanzarote are far better known than the region's wines.
Lanzarote is the easternmost DO within the Spanish Canary Islands. The designation covers the whole of the volcanic island, a popular tourist destination thanks to its spectacular lunar landscape. Malvasia reigns supreme on Lanzarote, accounting for 75 percent of vineyard plantings. It produces a variety of wines, the most famous of which is a lusciously sweet style historically known as 'Malmsey', which is rich in texture and almost like a well-aged Madeira. Moscatel and Pedro Ximénez also produce quality sweet wines here. Light, young (joven) white, rosé and red wines are made, from grape varieties such as Burrablanca (Airén), Breval (Verdelho) and Listan Blanco (Palomino) for whites and Listán Negro and Tinta Negra Mole for reds and rosés. The local Consejo Regulador wine authority also allows some sparkling whites and barrel-fermented reds to be made.
Sparkling wine is a wine with high levels of carbon dioxide in it making it bubble. The carbon dioxide is a result of natural fermentation, either in a bottle or a specially designed tank, or as a result of carbon dioxide injection.Sparkling wine is usually white or rosé but there are many examples of red sparkling wines. The sweetness of sparkling wine can range from very dry "brut" styles to sweeter "doux" varieties.When one thinks of sparkling wine they usually think of Champagne, but this wine is exclusively produced in the Champagne region of France and many sparkling wines are produced in other countries and regions. Most countries reserve the word Champagne for a specific type from the Champagne region of France. The French terms "Mousseux" or "Crémant" are used to refer to sparkling wine not made in the Champagne region. German and Austrian sparkling wines are called Sekt. The United States is a significant producer of sparkling wine with producers in numerous states. Recently the United Kingdom, which produced some of the earliest examples of sparkling wine, has started producing sparkling wines again.
