The variety was originally created by combining the Italian variety Schiava Grossa (Trollinger or Black Hamburg) and Egyptian variety Muscat of Alexandria and was grown in English greenhouses, where it was referred to as Black Muscat of Alexandria, but the name Hamburg Muscat soon prevailed, which kept one component from each of the varieties from which it was created. Winemakers used Moschato Mavro Tyrnavou to produce aromatic white and rose wines and light red, sweet, semisweet, dry and even semi-sparkling wines.
The Hamburg Muscat variety gradually spread across most of the world, in Europe (France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Romania, Portugal and other countries), the USA (California, Virginia, Oregon, Texas), Egypt, Argentina, while in recent years we find it as far away as China. Where it is grown, it is used for wine mixtures, to produce dessert wines, to be consumed as a fruit, but it is very rare to come across a wine fermented exclusively from Hamburg Muscat.
Muscat was used in many ways, to make several types of aromatic wines, mainly light red ones, but also as raw grape in the market.
Moschato Mavro Tyrnavou produces varietal wines beguiling with their aroma which is reminiscent of rose, clove, honey with accents of citrus and fruits. Wines fermented from Black Muscat of Tyrnavos are rare, unusual and modern, while their aromatic character, rich body and taste complexity they cater for an increasing number of consumers, especially young ones.
The intense aromatic character of the variety reminds of rose in white wines, while its mouthfeel is distinguished by its intense structure, with refreshing sweetness, discreet acidity and long aftertaste. Reds are brimming with the aromas of flowers, with a satisfactory volume and structured with soft tannins. The semi-dry, semi-sweet and sweet wines stand out, where residual sugars overemphasize aroma, as well as white, rose and red wines from selected vineyards.
This variety is a true treasure which must be discovered and also revealed, preserved, utilized, researched and developed!
