The 5 Best Malvasia You Should Drink in 2023

5
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Malvasia
This is our review of the 5 Best Malvasia You should drink. Enjoy!
Welcome! Have you ever found yourself staring at many Malvasia bottles wondering which one you would like best?
 
We spent a lot of hours researching the topic and tested hundreds of wines to come up with the below 5 best-of list for you.
 
We have ranked them by quality, region, and value for money and added an extensive buying guide so that you have all you need to make an informed decision.
 
You don’t have to spend several $100s to get an outstanding bottle of wine.
 
Choose one of the below bottles and you’ll find quality wines at a competitive price, for all occasions and pockets.
 
Malvasia is produced in various parts of the world and it’s used to produce table wines, dessert wines, sparkling wines, and fortified wines.
 
In its dessert version, it is known for its elegant sweetness, light bubbles, medium body, tannins, red fruit, rose, and chocolate notes.
 
Here, we’ll primarily focus on Malvasia di Casorzo DOC.
 
There are other Malvasia styles that are worth knowing, and we’ll take a brief overview of them here as well.
 
They are Malvasia Bianca, Malvasia delle Lipari DOC, Port wine, and Madeira wine. 
 
Our best value bottle selection for you is Sulin Antichi Giochi Piemontesi Voület Casorzo.
 
If you are after a special bottle, our recommendation is Hauner Malvasia delle Lipari.
 
You’ll find the table of content below. Let’s start with the review!
3.5/5

Region: Italy, Piemonte

Tasting notes: Cherry, Strawberry, Rose, Chocolate

If you are into sweet lightly bubbly wine with red fruit notes, that’s your wine.

Have it as aperitif with deli or at the end of the meal paired with a strawberry tart and you can’t have enough of it!

4/5

Region: Italy, Sicilia

Tasting notes: Citrus Fruit, Lychee, Honey

It featured in Vivino’s 2018 Wine Style Awards: Southern Italy White (2016 Vintage), and for a good reason.

It’s light, crisp, and fruity, a perfect Sicilian white!

3.9/5

Region: Italy, Sicilia

Tasting notes: Tangerine, Jam, Dried Fig, Honey.

If you have never tried a Malvasia passito you should definitely try this one.

Pair it with a Cannolo Siciliano or a Cassata, typical Sicilian pastries, and you’ll be in heaven!

4/5

Vivino’s tips: Good value for money. Similar wines usually cost 67% more.

Region: Portugal, Madeira

Tasting notes: Caramel, Coffee, Vanilla, Nutty, Raisine, Smoke

The palate is very well-balanced, with a viscous entry that lacquers the mouth.

The acidity is very well-judged, lending the finish a sense of poise and tension that neatly counterbalances the richness and precocity.

4.3/5

Vivino’s tips: Good value for money. Similar wines usually cost 33% more.

Region: Portugal, Porto

Tasting notes: Caramel, Oak, Raisin, Jam, Nuts, Orange Flower

Intense amber tawny color. Opulent and voluptuous nose of complex spicy, jammy and nutty aromas, hints of orange flower.

It has a fine oakiness coming from the long period of aging in cask.

The palate is full of very rich and concentrated flavor and has a long mellow finish.

Buying Guide to Malvasia

It’s not just about which Malvasia you should buy.

There are other important aspects like how to serve it, food pairings, and much more.

The below buying guide will give you a detailed overview on all these topics.

Malvasia Overview

Here you find an overview on where Malvasia di Casorzo DOC dessert wine style is most commonly planted.

Grape

Malvasia Nera

ABV

10.5%

Main Regions

Italy: Piemonte

Other Regions

Grape

Malvasia Nera

ABV

10.5%

Main Regions

Italy: Piemonte

Other Regions

Malvasia Taste Profile

These are some of the most common aromas and flavors of Malvasia di Casorzo DOC dessert wine style.

Color

Red Ruby

Nose

Roses
Apricot, Peach
Raspberry

Palate

Sweet
Light Bubbles
Raspberry
Redcurrants
Medium-High Acidity
Medium-Low Tannins
Medium Body

Color

Red Ruby

Nose

Roses
Apricot, Peach
Raspberry

Palate

Sweet
Light Bubbles
Raspberry
Redcurrants
Medium-High Acidity
Medium-Low Tannins
Medium Body

Malvasia Food Pairings

These are some food pairing suggestions for Malvasia di Casorzo DOC dessert wine style. 

Appetizer

Deli

Meat

-

Fish

-

Cheese & Dessert

Firm (Parmigiano, Pecorino)
Fruit Salad, Fruit Tart, Chocolate, Dried Pastry

Appetizer

Deli

Meat

-

Fish

-

Cheese & Dessert

Firm (Parmigiano, Pecorino)
Fruit Salad, Fruit Tart, Chocolate, Dried Pastry

Serve and Store Malvasia

Here you find some useful tips on how to serve and store Malvasia di Casorzo DOC dessert wine style.

Decant

Nope

Glass

Flûte
Viognier

Serve at

43 - 46 °F
6 - 8 °C

Store for

Up to 1 year

Decant

Nope

Glass

Flûte
Viognier

Serve at

43 - 46 °F
6 - 8 °C

Store for

Up to 1 year

What are the other Malvasia styles?

There are at least other four Malvasia styles you should be aware of.
 
Below we are going to take a quick look at them so that you know what to expect and what to do with them.
 
Port Wine (Malvasia Fina blend)
Port wine is one of the most famous and delicious fortified wines that can age decades. In case you wonder
is produced in Portugal.
 
Port is sweet and typical notes are raspberry, blackberry, caramel, cinnamon, and chocolate to name some. 
 
It pairs well with salted nuts, blue and wash-rind cheese, chocolate and caramel desserts.
 
Madeira Wine (Portuguese Malvasia Candida, aka Malmsey, blend)
Madeira wine is another very famous and delicious fortified wine from Portugal. 
 
Madeira’s sweetness level goes from dry to sweet. Typical notes are dried and fruit candid, carry, walnut, hazelnut, and almond.
 
It pairs well with olives, smoked salmon, cream and goat cheese, apple tart, and fruity pastry for example.
 
Malvasia Bianca (White Malvasia)
Malvasia Bianca is one of the most planted varieties of Malvasia, generally planted in Italy and California.
 
It’s used to produce dry white and semi-sweet passito wines.
 
Typical notes are peach, apricot, white currant, and honeysuckle to name some.
 
It pairs well with pizza quattro formaggi, salads, white meat, and blue cheese like Gorgonzola.
 
Malvasia delle Lipari DOC
This is another Malvasia varieties produced on the Lipari Island in
Sicily, Italy.
 
It’s generally used to produce a sweet passito wine.
 
Typical notes are peach, apricot, honey, and orange.
 
It pairs well with dried and creamy pastries, like the Sicilian pastries. 

Our Verdict

Malvasia, in its dessert version, it is known for its elegant sweetness, light bubbles (“frizzante” in Italian), medium body, tannins, red fruit, rose, and chocolate notes.

If you have been through the buying guide, you should have a pretty good idea of how to navigate the Malvasia world.
 
At the same time, you have probably realized by now, that there’s a big selection and, many styles.
 
The good news is that you can get very high quality usually at a good price if you know where to look!
 
That’s why proper guidance comes in handy. We hope our guide was helpful in this regard.
 
Our best value bottle selection for you is Sulin Antichi Giochi Piemontesi Voület Casorzo.
 
If you are after a special bottle, our recommendation is Hauner Malvasia delle Lipari.
 
As always, make sure to serve your Malvasia di Casorzo DOC at the right temperature and with the proper glass.

What to do next?

Read our wine tasting guide to enhance your tasting experience and taste like the pro!

Alternatively, why don’t you check out our guides on Moscato, Spumante, Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay?

FAQ

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about Malvasia.

What does Malvasia mean?

The name Malvasia is allegedly named after a medieval Byzantine fortress named Monemvasia, whose port acted as trading center for wine.

What is Malvasia history?

In Medieval times, Malvasia or Malmsey was one of the most exported wines from Greece, primarily the Cyclades.
 
Over time, Malvasia Bianca di Candia (White Malmsey of Create) become more and more popular in western Europe and it’s today the Malvasia most planted varieties in Italy.

Where does Malvasia grow best?

Generally speaking, Malvasia usually grows best in dry climates on sloping well-drained soils to reduce the development of various grape diseases.

When is the perfect time to drink Malvasia?

Malvasia in its dessert wine style is perfect for aperitif or for dessert.

Is Malvasia sweet?

As we have seen above, there are at least four different Malvasia wine styles that goes from sweet to dry.

The sweetness level of a wine is expressed in grams of sugar per liter, aka g/L, or as a percentage.

A dry wine contains less than 15 g/L. A sweet wine contains between 50-100 g/L. 

Learn more about wine sweetness level here.

What does the acronym DOC mean?

DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata. It’s one of the highest classification in Italy.

To obtain DOC winemakers need to follow rigorous protocols for harvesting, cultivation, and production. 

Other common classifications are DO, IGT, and DOCG. [1]

It can be compared with the AOC in France.[2]

What’s Malvasia's typical price range?

Malvasia di Casorzo DOC is an affordable wine. You’ll find good bottles at around $15 – $20. The same goes for Malvasia Bianca wine.
 
Malvasia delle Lipari will be around $40.
 
For Port and Madeira wines the price increases also in relation to the aging of the bottles.
 
In principle, it starts are around $30 for a nice 10 years Madeira and in the $40 for a nice 20 years Port.

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