Muscat de Hambourg

The Muscat de Hambourg grape is mired in mystery and its origins are not without doubt. It is assumed to be a crossing of Muscat d’Alexandrie and Trollinger (often called Frankenthal) but this has not been confirmed by DNA analysis. It is also unclear how the link with Hamburg came about. It is a fact that it was grown from 1836 in greenhouses in Hamburg, from where it reached England. Now Muscat de Hambourg is cultivated in many countries of the world including the USA, France, Greece, Romania, Uruguay, Portugal, Italy, Australia and South Africa.
It does not appear to be suited to the production of big-name wines of certified origin and quality, but it is a very popular table grape with its dark blue to black skin and pleasant muscat flavour.