Editing Muscat (grape) (section)

=== Muscat of Alexandria ===
[[File:Muscat d'Alexandrie.JPG|right|thumb|The berries of Muscat of Alexandria clusters are larger and more oval-shaped than those of ''Muscat blanc à Petits Grains'']]
While the grape's name harkens to the city of [[Alexandria]] and suggest an ancient Egyptian origin, DNA analysis has shown that Muscat of Alexandria is the result of a natural crossing between ''Muscat blanc à Petits Grains'' and the Greek wine grape ''Axina de Tres Bias''. Though as ''Axina de Tres Bias'' has also been historically grown in Sardinia and Malta, the precise location and origins of Muscat of Alexandria cannot be determined. Compared to ''Muscat blanc à Petits Grains'', Muscat of Alexandria tends to produce large, moderately loose clusters of large oval-shaped berries that are distinctive from the much smaller, round berries of ''Muscat blanc à Petits Grains''.<ref name="Clarke"/>

Like most Muscat varieties, Muscat of Alexandria is notable for being a desirable raisin and table grape. This is due in part to the grape's high tolerance of heat and drought conditions. While it is used in wine production (most notably on the island of [[Pantelleria]] between [[Sicily]] and [[Tunisia]], where it makes a ''[[passito]]'' style [[dessert wine]] under the name of "Zibibbo"), the grape lags far behind the reputation of ''Muscat blanc à Petits Grains''. This is partly because Muscat of Alexandria is very vigorous and prone to produce high [[yields (wine)|yields]] that can be easily overcropped as well as a more assertive aroma profile due to a higher concentration of the [[monoterpene]] [[geraniol]], which produces a [[geranium]] scent, and lower concentration of [[nerol]] with 
a more fresh, sweet [[rose]] aroma.<ref name="Clarke"/>

In France, Muscat of Alexandria is most prominent as a blending component (with ''Muscat blanc à Petits Grains'') in the VdN wines of [[Muscat de Rivesaltes AOC]] in the [[Roussillon wine]] region. The grape is the primary Muscat variety in Spain, where it is known as ''Moscatel'', though the majority of the country's plantings are used for table grapes and raisins, rather than for wine production. Likewise, in [[Chile (wine)|Chile]], and [[Peru (wine)|Peru]] most of the Moscatel in both countries is used to produce the [[distilled drink]] "[[pisco]]".<ref name="Clarke"/>

In South Africa, Muscat of Alexandria is known as "''Hanepoot''" and was the fourth-most widely planted white wine grape variety in the country until the early 2000s. While some of the plantings were used for wine production, particularly for fortified wine, many plantings were used for the production of [[grape concentrate]] and raisins.<ref name="Oxford"/> In [[California (wine)|California]], there is still more plantings of Muscat of Alexandria than any other Muscat variety, with most of these grapes going into anonymous [[jug wines]] from the [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley]].<ref name="Clarke"/> As in many other places in the world, the grape had a long history of use in the United States as a raisin variety, though in the 1920s, plantings of Muscat of Alexandria began to decline as producers turned to more popular [[seedless grape]] varieties.<ref name="Wine Grapes"/>