C15: from Medieval Latin Malmasia, corruption of Greek Monembasia, Greek port from which the wine was shipped
malmsey in American English
(ˈmɑmzi)
noun
1.
the darkest and sweetest type of Madeira
2.
the white grape from which this is made
3.
any other wine made from this grape
Word origin
ME malmesey < ML malmasia < Malmasia < Gr Monembasia, Monemvasia, or Malvasia, small town on the coast of Laconia, Greece, formerly notedfor exporting wine