The white grape variety originates from Italy. Synonyms are Malvasia Bianca, Malvasia Candia, Malvasia di Candia and Malvasia Rossa. It belongs to the large group of mostly unrelated varieties with the name part Malvasia. Despite seeming synonyms or morphological similarities, it must not be confused with the varieties Malvasia Bianca di Piemonte, Malvasia di Candia Aromatica (is not a taste mutation) or Malvasia di Lipari (Malvasia Cândida). Candia is an old name for the Greek island of Crete, however, there is no genetic evidence for an ancestry assumed from there by some ampelographers. According to DNA analyses carried out in 2008, it is probably the product of a natural cross between Garganega x unknown, possibly already extinct variety.