Origin and Possible Members of the ‘Malvasia’ Family: The New Fuencaliente de La Palma Hypothesis on the True ‘Malvasia’

The name ‘Malvasia’ and its various spellings has historically been associated with a type of sweet and/or aromatic wine. However, a definitive association with a specific grape variety remains unconfirmed. In fact, up to 413 different grape variety names (cultivar name (synonym name) and/or first name) are related to the term “Malvasia”. The question arises: are all of these truly Malvasia? To answer this question, our research group presents a hypothesis. We worked with 43 genetic profiles that various scientific groups have published over decades and that are stored in the world’s largest grape database, the Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC). The known molecular profiles were obtained using the SSR (Simple Sequence Repeats) or microsatellite technique. Various population structure programs were applied, information on the possible origin or area where each of the varieties was mostly grown was used, and historical information was used to explain the results obtained. Therefore, it can be concluded that the current varieties best positioned to define the concept of grape and/or wine variety “Malvasia” would be (1) Malvasia Dubrovacka, Malvasia bianca lunga, and Malvasia del Cilento, by genetic proximity; (2) Malvasia volcanica, Malvasia babosa, Malvasia nera di Basilicata, Malvasia nera di Brindisi, Vitovska, Pelena, Prunesta (false), and Lagorthi, by crosses; and (3) Malvasia di Sardegna Rosada, by mutation. The rest of the candidate varieties to be part of the ‘Malvasia’ family are dismissed because they result from crosses with members of the Muscat family or crosses with other varieties (known or unknown) that, in any case, are not related historically, genetically, or geographically (with the exception of Malvasia istriana and Malvasia Župska) to the hypothetical members of the ‘Malvasia’ family.