White Grape · Lazio
Malvasia di Candia is a white grape with two faces: a workhorse biotype that anchors the Lazio whites of Frascati DOCG and the Castelli Romani, and the genetically distinct Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, the perfumed Emilian clone that defines Colli Piacentini DOC and Colli di Parma DOC.
1
Bottles
From £10
Starting price
2
Retailers
Peach
Apricot
Honey
Almond
Acacia
Apple
Serve
10–12°C
Decant
No
Glass
Tulip Glass
Drink Within
2–3 days
Cellar
1–3 years
1 wine available
The "di Candia" name points to the old Greek port of Candia on Crete, the route Venetian and Byzantine merchants used to ship sweet Mediterranean whites into Italy. The variety modern Italian ampelography catalogues under that name is in fact two distinct vines. Malvasia Bianca di Candia is a non-aromatic biotype rooted in the Lazio hills around Rome, Frosinone, Caserta and Benevento, with around 4,880 hectares registered in the Catalogo Nazionale delle VarietĂ di Vite. Malvasia di Candia Aromatica is a separate cultivar; a 2021 DNA study traced its parentage to Malvasia Aromatica di Parma crossed with an unknown second parent, and the clone covers about 890 hectares concentrated in Emilia.
In Lazio the workhorse biotype is part of the Frascati DOCG, Frascati Superiore DOCG and Cannellino di Frascati DOCG blends, where it shares the disciplinare with Trebbiano Toscano and the local Malvasia Puntinata. Vines are vigorous, late-ripening and tolerant of dry, calcareous soils, but oxidation-prone juice means winemakers traditionally lean on co-vinification rather than single-varietal bottlings. The wines are pale straw-yellow, rounded, low in acid, with peach, ripe apple and white-flower notes plus a bitter almond finish.
The aromatic clone defines Colli Piacentini DOC, Colli di Parma DOC and Monterosso Val d'Arda DOC, and also crosses the border into Lombardy's Oltrepò Pavese DOC. Its terpene-rich juice supports a wider stylistic range; dry, frizzante, spumante and passito versions all built on sage, thyme, white flowers, peach, apricot and honey, with the Colli Piacentini frizzante tradition and the rare passito releases of producers like La Stoppa marking the clone's commercial peak.
Malvasia di Candia is a white Italian wine grape grown principally in Lazio and Emilia-Romagna. Italian ampelography splits the name across two distinct vines: a non-aromatic biotype that anchors Frascati DOCG and the Castelli Romani whites, and Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, a separate aromatic cultivar centred on Colli Piacentini DOC and Colli di Parma DOC.
The name covers both. The Lazio biotype is non-aromatic, with low acidity and a soft peach-and-almond profile that suits blending with Trebbiano Toscano. Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, a genetically distinct clone, is highly aromatic, rich in terpenes, and shows sage, white flowers, peach and honey notes in dry, frizzante, spumante and passito Colli Piacentini DOC wines.
The Lazio biotype pairs with Roman cooking: fritto misto di calamari, vignarola, abbacchio scottadito, cacio e pepe and saltimbocca alla romana. The aromatic Emilian clone fits piacentine and parmense charcuterie, prosciutto di Parma, salame piacentino, tortelli di erbette and panzerotti fritti. Sweet passito versions partner sbrisolona, pesche ripiene and almond pastries.
The non-aromatic biotype is concentrated in Lazio's Castelli Romani, Frusinate and Roman hills, with secondary plantings in Campania, Basilicata, Puglia and Emilia-Romagna. The aromatic clone is centred on the Colli Piacentini DOC and Colli di Parma DOC in Emilia-Romagna, with smaller acreage in Lombardy's Oltrepò Pavese DOC and pockets across Marche and northern Lazio's Colli Cimini IGT.
They are distinct grapes despite overlapping synonyms. Malvasia Bianca Lunga is the Tuscan variety used in Vin Santo del Chianti DOC, Vin Santo di Carmignano DOC and Vin Santo di Montepulciano DOC. Malvasia Bianca di Candia is the central-southern workhorse and Malvasia di Candia Aromatica is the Emilian aromatic cultivar; neither belongs in the Tuscan Vin Santo blends.
Serve dry Lazio Frascati blends and Colli Piacentini aromatic whites at 10 to 12 °C in a tulip glass, raising the temperature toward 12 to 14 °C for the aromatic clone so its terpenes open. Decanting is unnecessary. Refrigerate opened bottles and consume within two to three days; passito bottles keep longer.
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