Hello my dear friends! This is going to be a 'sweet' Wednesday! On May 9 we celebrate National Moscato Day so this is our chance to raise a glass and celebrate the history of this tasty white wine.
Lets clarify first that the term “Moscato” is simply the Italian word for the widely planted and ancient grape variety, Muscat, also known as Moscatel in Spain and Muskateller in Germany and Austria. For those avid Muscat lovers, this is a wine historically known as a dessert wine (no wonder it’s so delicious) and is originally from Piedmont, Italy. When you uncork a bottle, you can expect a blend of peachy, orangey, and nectarine flavors. The Muscat grape has been around for thousands of years, and encompasses a range of over 200 different varieties.
The two most common varieties of Muscat are Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (Muscat Blanc) and Muscat of Alexandria. The former, as implied, generally has white skins and produces both dry and sweet wines. Muscat of Alexandria grapes tend to be larger and darker than Muscat Blanc and are best known for producing concentrated sweet wines.
In Italy, Moscato is vinified using a special technique, which involves chilling the wine down prior to the completion of fermentation in steel. This leaves an abundance of sugar in the wine, which, due to the halting of fermentation, has a low ABV (generally around 5 to 5.5%). Italian Moscato is often bottled with a bit of carbon dioxide, which creates a slight-yet-pleasant fizziness in the wine.
Although it originates in Italy, Muscat grows in wine regions all over the world. It’s versatile and can be grown in most climates, thriving in France, Spain, Italy and of course has had a real resurgence as a style over the last few years within Australia. It is considered a sweeter wine, but how it’s made is dictated by the winemaker and the style that they’re aiming to produce. It generally has lower acidity, with a slight sweetness thanks to higher levels of residual sugar.
The popular Moscato di Asti style of wine that’s made in parts of Italy tends to be sweet and lightly sparkled, often known locally as frizzante. This popular style comes from a region in Italy called Asti, in the Piedmont area in North Western Italy. These wines have a beautiful perfume, with aromas of mandarin, ripe pear, orange blossom and honeysuckle on the palate. In other Moscatos you’ll also taste floral characters, rose petal and rose water flavours on the nose along with Turkish delight and wild strawberries.
Whereas white wine in general shows a higher alcohol content (12% average), many Moscatos are made with lower alcohol (around 5-6%).
HISTORY OF NATIONAL MOSCATO DAY
Moscato is one of the oldest grapes in Italy. Though it's origin is unclear, it was believed to have come from the southeast Arabian Peninsula, where it eventually traveled to Italy and other countries.
The Moscato family of grapes is known as the primary grape for wine in Italy and it is well known for its versatility when it comes to flavors. It is a difficult grape to grow and is known for often producing low yields. In recent years it has become also very popular in the U.S, so much so that in 2012 it was the third most popular white wine in the country. National Moscato Day was created by Gallo Family Vineyards on that same year. The Gallo Family Vineyards, a huge producer of excellent and affordable Moscato, is a family-owned business that has been around since 1933.
Asian food tends to be an excellent pairing option for Muscat.
Pairing and Recommendations
There’s plenty of great food combinations to enjoy with Moscato wine. Serve alongside fresh oysters and prawns for a luscious starter or end your meal on a sweet note and try it with desserts and fruit platters. Flavors of Moscato really come alive when paired with Asian foods, especially Thai and Vietnamese. The lower alcohol and sweetness brings great balance, allowing the food flavors to shine through. We would like to recommend you two of our favorite brands...
Reymos is a sparkling Muscat made in Valencia, Spain (Anecoop Bodegas). It differs from other sparkling by the processing method used, Charmat, which is much more natural. Thanks to its careful crafting, a creamy, dense and slightly sweet sparkling is created, with perfect balance between acidity and residual sugar content. It shows pale hints of green. This is a clean and bright wine with fine, persistent bubbles. Reymos brings rich and elegant aromas of apricot and white raisins to your nose. The high content of natural sugars does not go the traditional perception of sparkling wine, giving a feeling of fullness in the mouth. It is persistent, softly sweet with a very light finish. Reymos goes very well with appetizers, desserts, snacks, pâté or foie gras, chocolate, pie, nuts and oil seeds. It's also ideal for a moment of toast.
La Cartuja is a brilliant still Muscat made in Valencia by Anecoop Bodegas. It shows a yellow tone with flashes of gold. Intense, dense, candied and perfumed. Notes of honey, golden raisin and rose petals. Sweet and pleasing, this unctuous fortified wine lingers on the palate with savory acidity, hints of dried figs, significant alcoholic potency and a long honey finish.
And that's a wrap for today!
Have a happy week and... let's meet here next Wednesday again! Until then, Santé!
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