Malvasia (, also known as
Malvazia) is a group of
wine grape varieties grown historically in the
Mediterranean region,
Balearic islands,
Canary Islands and the island of
Madeira, but now grown in many of the
winemaking regions of the world. In the past, the names Malvasia, Malvazia, and
Malmsey have been used interchangeably for Malvasia-based wines; however, in modern
oenology, "Malmsey" is now used almost exclusively for a sweet variety of
Madeira wine made from the Malvasia grape. Grape varieties in this family include Malvasia bianca, Malvasia di Schierano, Malvasia negra, , Malvasia near di Brindisi and a number of other varieties.