Moschato Spinas

Moschato Spinas, or Muscat of Spina, is Crete's Muscat, an intensely aromatic white named for the village of Spina in the Chania region of western Crete. It gives exuberantly perfumed wines full of orange peel, lime, rose petal and orange blossom, with jasmine, peach and a chamomile note, among the most openly flavourful wines on the island.

Crete's own Muscat

Accurately described, Moschato Spinas is a local strain of Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains, the great small-berried Muscat of the Mediterranean; DNA points to it being essentially identical to that variety, with a thicker berry skin as its main local distinction. It is not a separate species so much as Crete's version of a famous grape, and it has the legal distinction of being the only Muscat permitted on the island. A largely forgotten variety, it was revived by the Strataridakis brothers and is now well established in central Crete around the villages of Maza and Spina and in the Heraklion region.

In the glass and at the table

Muscat is versatile, and Moschato Spinas is made across the range, from dry through semi-sweet to sweet, both on its own and blended with Vilana or Vidiano. The dry versions are aromatic and fruit-forward and, like most aromatic Muscats, best enjoyed young while the florals are vivid. Producers to look for include Strataridakis, Karavitakis and the organic Domaine Paterianakis, with Douloufakis making a medium-sweet Muscat and Vilana blend.