On May 9 raise your glass and toast National Moscato Day. Moscato, or Muscat in Italian, is one of the oldest known variety of grapes grown in the world.
- The grape can be white to almost black and the flavor from sweet to dry. Because of this, it is quite versatile and is used to make everything from sparkling and dessert wines to dry and floral wines.
- Where one Moscato may pair well with a steak, another will go well with fresh fruit and a sharp cheese plate.
- In February 2012, it was reported that Moscato wine became the third most popular white wine consumed within the United States.
- Muscat is the only fine wine grape that doubles as a table grape.
- Twitter currently buzzes with an average of 250 tweets an hour about people drinking their Moscato.
- In addition to Moscato, Muscatel and Muscat, this common white variety is also known as Muscadel, Muscat Blanc and Muscat Canelli.
- Virtually all pink Moscatos gain their hue from a splash of red wine, not skin contact.
- The breadth and number of varieties of Muscat suggest that it is perhaps the oldest domesticated grape variety, and there are theories that most families within the Vitis vinifera grape variety are descended from the Muscat variety.
- According to 2015 data, folks 40 and under—most in the Millennial range—are twice as likely to buy Moscato than any of the 26 other wine varieties in the study.
- Moscato wine is famous for its sweet flavors of peaches and orange blossom. The word Moscato (“moe-ska-toe”) is the Italian name for Muscat Blanc – one of the oldest wine grapes in the world!
- One of the most popular Moscato wine styles is based on the Italian wine called Moscato d’Asti from Piedmont.
- Wines have perfumed aromas of mandarin orange, ripe pear, sweet meyer lemon, orange blossom, and honeysuckle. The wine’s unique floral aroma is from an aromatic compound called linalool which is also found in mint, citrus flowers, and cinnamon.
- If I had to choose just one wine for pairing with sichuan, Thai and Vietnamese cuisine, it’d be Moscato. It handles spicy foods with grace since alcohol levels tend to be low and sweetness tends to be high.
- Moscato loves aromatic spices like ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and chile peppers. For proteins, try lighter meats like chicken and light flaky fish. That said, a sparkling Moscato would match with BBQ Pork just as well as an ice cold Coke.
- When it comes to the availability and affordability of Muscato wine, it is hard to beat. Its alcohol content (4.5% – 6.5%) is relatively low, so it escapes most of the tax duties. The wine is never scarce hence it’s always affordable.
- There are over 200 varieties of grape in the Muscat family. The most common are Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (used for Moscato d’Asti), Muscat of Alexandria (the oldest), Muscat of Hamburg (known as the Black Muscat) and Muscat Ottonel (used for a dry white wine).
- The Muscat grape is one of the oldest grapes in history. While heavily grown in Piedmont, Italy, this grape is actually grown in every wine region on Earth, and was likely born in Egypt!
- Muscat grapes almost always produce a pronounced, sweet floral aroma. While the wine itself is sweet, it actually has a low alcohol content (around 5-7% ABV) which means that despite the sweeter flavor, Moscato is not considered a dessert wine.
- Moscato comes from the Muscat Canelli grape, which is a tiny grape with a BIG impact in the winemaking world. If you think you’ve never tried Muscat Canelli before, think again! It takes on a variety of aliases including Muscat Blanc, Muscat d’Alsace, Muskateller, Moscatel, and the one almost everyone recognizes, Moscato.
- While full carbonated, or sparkling, versions of Muscat Canelli exist, most all will be “semi-fizzy.” In the wine world, winemakers call this method of presentation frizzante.
- Most noted for being sweet, Moscato (Muscat Canelli) wines should also be noted for their orange blossom, peach, and nectarine flavors. The bouquet consists of honeysuckle, vanilla, rose, jasmine, and caramel. YUM!
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