| Black Muscat | |
|---|---|
| Grape (Vitis) | |
| Rudolf Goethe: Handbuch der Tafeltraubenkultur | |
| Species | Vitis vinifera |
| Also called | Golden Hamburg, Muscat Hamburg, Black Hamburg (US); Muscat de Hambourg (France); Moscato di Amburgo (Italy; Muscat Gamburgskiy (Russia) |
| Origin | Germany |
| Notable regions | California, Virginia, Pacific Northwest, Vancouver Island, India, China, Eastern Europe |
Black Muscat is a Vitis vinifera grape variety derived from the crossing of the Schiava Grossa and Muscat of Alexandria varieties. It is known under a variety of local names such as Golden Hamburg, and Black Hamburg in the US; Muscat de Hambourg (or Hamburgh) in France; Moscato di Amburgo in Italy; and Muscat Gamburgskiy in Russia and former Soviet Union countries. Confusingly, Black Hamburg is also used as a synonym for its maternal parent. It is commonly produced as table wine but in California's Central Valley it has been used in the production of dessert wine. As a dessert wine it can be highly aromatic with a rich coloring. In the US it is grown in wine appellations in California, Virginia, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. In Canada, it is also found on Vancouver Island. [1]
In France, the grape is used chiefly as a component of fruit baskets. In Eastern Europe, the grape produces a light, dry red wine. It is also starting to gain popularity as a table wine component in China. [2]
Horticulturist Walter Clore has postulated that this grape might have been one of the first Vitis vinifera varieties planted in Washington State in the early 19th century. [3]