This grape variety belongs to the large family of Moscato and the Romans called it "Uva Apiana" to indicate its sweetness that always attracted bees. It seems to be native of Egypt (hence the name Muscat of Alexandria) and was spread exactly by the Romans in the Mediterranean basin. The other name by which it is commonly called, Zibibbo, derives from the North African term zibibb, which means "raisin grape": the Arabs in fact, at the end of the first millennium, while not making use of wine, were very great consumers of raisins and realized that this variety was perfect for drying. The area of greatest spread is the island of Pantelleria, but the crops are present in many other parts of Sicily. It is a plant vigorous on average, with medium-sized, pentagonal shape, three- or five-lobed leaves. Its bunches are cylindrical, winged, from sparse to compact, with large and obovoide-shaped grapes.
