Muscat of Alexandria

Muscat of Alexandria is an ancient Vitis vinifera grape, one of the oldest cultivated varieties, thought to have originated in North Africa or the eastern Mediterranean and spread through the Greek and Roman world. It produces large, oval greenish-amber berries in loose clusters and is a triple-purpose grape used fresh, dried into raisins, and made into sweet aromatic wines such as Moscatel. It is intensely perfumed with the classic floral muscat aroma. A vigorous, heat-loving vine, it needs a long, hot growing season to ripen fully and reach high sugar levels. Widely grown in Spain, Italy, Australia, and California, it remains prized for dessert wines and its distinctive grapey, orange-blossom fragrance.