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What Is Moscato? A Guide To Your New Favorite White Wine

Marie Gabrielle

Posted on August 24 2021

Recently, Moscato has become a social trend. Muscat wine has been increasingly popular in recent years, as consumers seek a sweeter, softer wine with a lower alcohol concentration. This wine is suitable for beginner wine drinkers because it is affordable, has exquisite flowery and fruity flavors, and has perfect sweetness, but it can be subtle enough for veteran drinkers to enjoy.

Muscat wine appears to be more than a temporary trend, so if you're curious about it, we've put together a detailed guide.

What is Moscato Wine?

Moscato is a sweet Italian wine with fruity flavors. This white wine is made from Muscat grape and is often thought of as a dessert wine with a bit of sparkling. Moscato has a relatively low alcohol concentration, ranging from about 5-7 percent, but there is considerable variance across the different kinds. 

At some point, the alcohol concentration of most red wines is around 10-12 percent ABV. Moscato is an excellent dessert drink with low alcohol content for leisurely sipping or a dinner drink that won't ruin your whole day. Here's an overview of the several Moscato flavors:

Pink Muscat Wine

Pink Muscat wine is a delectable version of the beverage, consisting of white Moscatel wine created from Muscat Blanc grape and a touch of Merlot for a great taste. Pink Muscat Wine has an exciting lineup of delicious nuances because of its diverse composition— rich sugar and vanilla flavors combine pleasantly with the fruitier flavors more strongly identified with the typical Moscato d'Asti variation — peach, nectarine, and lemon.

Moscato d'Asti

Moscato d'Asti is the most typical type of Muscat wine. It is made from the Muscat Blanc grape and is somewhat sparkling, white, and sweet. If you ask for Muscat wine in most venues, you'll always get Moscato d'Asti.

Asti Spumante

Asti Spumante (or just Asti) is the Muscat Blanc grape's response to champagne. It's a fully sparkly rendition of Muscat wine.

Still Muscat Wine

Muscat Blanc is another term for Moscatel. This wine uses either Zibibbo or Muscat Blanc grapes and lacks the sparkling character of the wine. This still white wine is not available in any supermarket. However, it's a little different if you find it, and Muscat enthusiasts may not enjoy this as their regular bottle.

Dessert Muscat Wine 

Since all Moscatos are sweet and have an excellent name as dessert wines, this oak-aged kind is typically related to Moscatel grape-based wines from France, the United States, South America, and anywhere else around the globe.

Red Muscat Wine

Red Muscat wine is an excellent balance in red and white wine, and it is from black and Orange Muscat grapes. Red Muscat wine contains various fruity aromas of wild cherry to peach and berry while still having the distinct Muscat wine taste and scent.

Muscat Wine For Dessert Pairings

Moscato alone is already delicious, but it has a particular aroma that can complicate pairing it with food. Muscat wine is unlikely to stand up to a bigger meal. However, it excels when it is a partner with a dessert buffet.

All in all, Muscat wines blend well when combined with other wines with similar fruit flavors. It will also give a perfect taste of drinking wine when serving it also with a warm peach tart or berry pie. The taste of nectarine and citrus indeed shows when it is coupled with the delicate flavor of a buttery almond croissant.

Adding some fresh fruits or anything else that sounds pretty good will make a wonderful celebration to present with wine.

Muscat Wine For Dinner Pairings

We've got you covered if you're searching for something to make a little different than a dessert combination. Whether you believe it or not, Muscat wine can be a fantastic dinner partner for some cuisines.

Moscato's pair nicely with Asian cuisine. The high aromatic richness of these regional cuisines counteracts Moscato's, intrinsic sweetness. Due to its low alcoholic concentration, Muscat wine can be a substitute for lighter beers that are typically served with spicy foods. Also, Muscat wine is a bonus to balance the spiciness of foods with cinnamon, ginger, and fiery chili peppers.

Conclusion

Moscato is one of the oldest wine types that has appeared in various cultures throughout thousands of years. Like most white wines, Muscat wine serves best when paired with lighter foods or finger foods, whether on a dessert or dinner table.