Black Muscat (or
Muscat of Hamburg) is a red
Vitis vinifera grape variety derived from the crossing of the
Schiava Grossa and
Muscat of Alexandria. 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.