Muscat of Spina variety

Spinas Muscat White Grape Variety from Crete

White Muscat is a white grape variety known by many synonyms across Mediterranean regions. The prevailing view is that the variety originated in Greece, where it is cultivated primarily for sweet wines, but also for dry and sparkling styles. It has a complex and spicy floral grape aroma, which can sometimes be intense and piercing.

The History of the Variety

According to Negrul (1946), White Muscat is identical to the ancient Greek variety Melissea and the Roman Apiana, which was mentioned by Pliny the Elder.
Due to its wide spread over the centuries, it has acquired numerous names (e.g. Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains in France, Moscatel Bianco or d’Asti in Italy, and in Greece: Muscat of Samos, Corfu, or Spinas).
In Greece, its primary cultivation center was originally the island of Samos, from where the variety spread to other regions and took on local place names.
It is likely that Spinas Muscat was introduced to western Crete by refugees or settlers from Samos around the 6th century AD.

White Muscat is grown in almost all wine-producing countries of both the Old and New World, covering approximately 45,000 hectares worldwide.
In France, it is the most widespread Muscat variety with 7,620 hectares under vine, while in Italy there were 13,280 hectares recorded as of the year 2000.
In Greece, cultivation is primarily found on the islands of Samos, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Limnos, and Rhodes, as well as in Patras, Rio, and Crete—totaling approximately 1,900 hectares.

White Muscat thrives in copper-rich, schistose soils that are well-aerated and well-drained.
The soil in the Dafnes region ranges from medium-textured to clay-loamy. It is rich in calcium carbonate, with concentrations exceeding 40%.
This calcium carbonate neutralizes soil acidity, with the pH ranging from 7 to 8.5—ideal for the absorption of most micronutrients by the vine.
Additionally, calcium carbonate improves soil structure, ensuring good drainage and stable soil temperatures.
These characteristics contribute to optimal phenolic and technological ripeness of the grapes, resulting in wines with rich body, color intensity, and balanced acidity.

White Muscat shows its best performance in elevated areas with ample sunlight, where the gradual progression of temperatures allows for slow and balanced grape ripening.
The vineyards in the Dafnes area are located northeast of Mount Psiloritis (Ida Mountain).
The terrain of the region is shaped by three main hill chains, running almost parallel from the north to the south of the prefecture, at elevations of 300–500 meters.
The slopes of these hills are planted with vines, mainly facing east or west.
Long valleys formed between the hill chains act as natural channels, funneling cool air from the Cretan Sea toward the interior, maintaining moderate summer temperatures.
Rainfall during summer is rare, which helps keep vines and grapes healthy.
It is precisely this unique microclimate that has supported viticulture in the area for centuries—since the time of the Venetian occupation, from the 13th to the 17th century.

White Muscat is extremely sensitive to powdery mildew and also susceptible to downy mildew, botrytis, grape berry moth, and infectious degeneration.

Depending on the cultivation area, the vines are trained either in low goblet (bush) form or in linear systems such as unilateral or bilateral Royat. The vines are pruned short (spur pruning).

White Muscat is a highly productive variety, as numerous buds break on 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th-year wood

Vineyards planted with the White Muscat variety are typically established at a density of around 3,500–4,000 vines per hectare (350–400 vines per stremma).
They are cultivated in linear systems with row spacing of 1.10 m × 2.5 m.

Shoot Tip (Apex):
Moderately open to fully open, green, cobweb-like in texture (arachnoid).

Young Leaf:
Bronze to pale green with a purplish edge, also cobweb-like (arachnoid).

Shape & Size: Medium, circular to slightly truncate, three-lobed or five-lobed.
Blade (Lamina): Thin, flat, slightly blistered, smooth and green on the upper surface, cobweb-like on the lower.
Petiolar Sinus: Lyre-shaped or V-shaped with converging lobes, very deep.
Veins: Yellow-green, prominent, with sparse, creeping or upright hairs on the underside.
Petiole (Leaf Stalk): Short, smooth, green or pinkish.

Size & Structure: Medium-sized, simple, rarely winged, cylindrical-conical or cylindrical in shape, compact to very compact.
Berry Attachment: Short peduncle, difficult to detach.

Size & Shape: Small to medium, nearly spherical.
Skin: Moderately thick, golden yellow, sometimes greenish-yellow, with a fine waxy bloom.
Flesh: Soft, moderately juicy, very sweet, with a characteristic Muscat aroma.

Typically 2–3 per berry, most often two. Curved, pear-shaped with a small, curved, pointed beak.

Brown to yellowish-brown, elliptical in cross-section, with smooth, ribbed surfaces.

Phenological Data
Spinas Muscat Vineyards

Soil and climatic conditions in each region significantly affect the phenological stages of the variety. In Dafnes, Crete, we have generally observed the following:

Budbreak: March 10–20

Full Shoot Growth: 2nd ten days of April

Flowering: May 15–20

Veraison: Late August to early September

Technological Characteristics of Fully Ripe Spinas Muscat Must

Sugar Content: 230–250 g/L

Total Acidity: 5.4–5.8 g/L

pH: 3.4–3.5

Greek Legislation for the Spinas Muscat Variety

Spinas Muscat is among the permitted wine grape varieties in the following PDO zones:
PDO Samos, PDO Muscat of Rhodes, PDO Muscat of Rio Patras, PDO Muscat of Patras, and PDO Muscat of Kefalonia (for sweet wines).

Characteristics of Wines Made from Spinas Muscat

White Muscat is a versatile variety suitable for dry, sweet, sparkling, and fortified wines.
It has a distinctive and intense grapey aroma which, oddly enough, is quite rare.
Dry expressions of this variety often reveal floral, citrus, and spicy notes.
Sweet and semi-sweet sparkling wines may show aromas of melon, nectarine, and honey, while dessert wines are frequently aged in oak barrels for months or even years.
Barrel aging enhances concentration and adds notes of dried fruits and nuts.

Douloufakis Wines from the Spinas Muscat Variety