Moscato
Moscato is white wine made from the muscat grape. And yes, it’s sweet, with notes of peach, apricot and honey. What really sets it apart is its alcohol content. Regular wine is 12 to 14 percent, while moscato stays between 5 and 8.
Wine by type
Moscato belongs in the light, sweet corner of the wine shelf. Read more about its neighbors here.
White wine
White wine ranges from bone dry to late-harvest and sweet. Moscato falls into the sweet category.
About White wine →Lambrusco
What lambrusco actually is, how sweet it can be, and which glass to drink this red fizz from.
About Lambrusco →
Prosecco
What prosecco is, how dry or sweet it can be, and why it goes into almost every spritz.
About Prosecco →
Wine
Red, white, rosé and sparkling wines in a row, with the serving temperature and the glass to go with each one.
About Wine →Muscat grapes, and sugar that didn’t turn into alcohol
Moscato is made from the moscato grape, also known as muscat or muscat grape. It’s one of the oldest grape varieties we know. Most bottles come from Piedmont, in northwestern Italy, around the medieval city of Asti. The grape is now also grown in France and Spain, and even in South Africa. The result is usually a sweet, fruity white wine with notes of peach, apricot, honey and orange. Those aromas come from the grape itself, not from oak or aging. Muscat is so distinctive that you can often smell a moscato before taking a sip.
Its sweetness and low alcohol content have the same cause. When making wine, yeast converts the sugar in grape juice into alcohol. With moscato, this process only goes halfway. The sugar that isn’t converted remains in the wine as residual sugar. And because less sugar has fermented, less alcohol has been produced. This gives Moscato d'Asti an alcohol content of 4.5 to 6.5%, and Asti 7 to 9%. Regular wine has 12 to 14%. The amount of residual sugar varies considerably from bottle to bottle. A Canti Asti has 85 grams of residual sugar per liter. A rosé moscato such as Kaapse Veer Blush has just 10 grams.
In brief
Six bottles, and not all are sweet or light
The best-known moscatos are sweet and light, but the muscat grape can do more. These six are listed from lightest to fullest-bodied. At the bottom, you’ll find a Spaniard with 15% alcohol and a Sicilian that’s completely dry.
Moscato d'Asti
Sweet, lightly sparkling wine from northern Italy. You can smell white flowers, table grapes and pear. It contains 12.5 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters and has 5% alcohol. This is how this style should taste.
Asti
Sweet sparkling white wine made from 100% moscato. You can taste apple, pear and citrus. With 85 grams of residual sugar per liter and 8% alcohol, it’s fuller-bodied than a Moscato d'Asti.
Moscato from South Africa
Made from Muscat of Alexandria, a muscat grape also known as hanepoot in South Africa. Not all the sugar in the juice has turned into alcohol. That makes for a lightly sweet sparkling wine with 5.5% alcohol, and notes of orange blossom and mandarin.
Moscato blush
Pale pink and highly aromatic, with flowers, grapes, and citrus. Its color comes from 3 percent Pinotage. With 10 grams of residual sugar per liter, it's the exception here. Light, but almost not sweet at all.
Dry Moscato
Planeta makes this dry wine from Moscato Bianco at the very southeastern tip of Sicily. In the glass, you'll find grapes, jasmine, rose petals, grapefruit, and even a hint of saltiness.
Sweet dessert wine
Sweet dessert wine from Spain, made from Muscat grapes. It tastes of toffee, grapes, and raisins. At 15 percent alcohol, it shows that the Muscat grape can also make a full-bodied wine.
Then pick one of the first four. They all stay under 8 percent. The last two show that the same grape can also make a dry or full-bodied wine.
Sweet and fragrant, but rarely heavy
Peach, apricot, and honey
You can recognize the Muscat grape immediately by its aroma: peach, apricot, honey, and orange. With Moscato d'Asti, white flowers, table grapes, and pear join in. All of that comes from the grape itself.
Sweet and lightly sparkling
The residual sugar gives it a distinctly sweet, fruity taste. The freshness and slight fizz keep it from becoming syrupy. And at 5 to 8 percent alcohol, a glass feels much lighter than regular wine.
Fruity and short
Short and fruity, with mandarin and orange blossom. It has little alcohol, so it lacks the warm, heavy finish of a classic dessert wine.
This is what an average Moscato d'Asti tastes like. A dry Moscato from Sicily scores much lower on sweetness. A Spanish dessert wine at 15 percent is much higher in intensity.
How to serve Moscato
Serve Moscato very cold in a small glass. Usually at the beginning or right at the end of the meal.
Serve well chilled
For sparkling wine, aim for 8 to 10 degrees, and the same goes for Moscato. At least four hours in the fridge is enough. Half an hour in an ice-and-water cooler works too. If you serve it too warm, the sweetness will take over.
The right glass →For a fruity dessert
Sorbets, fruit salad, strawberries with whipped cream, berry or raspberry desserts. It all works. Cheesecake, tiramisu, and crème brûlée too. If the dessert leans more toward caramel or apple pie, opt for a heavier sweet Moscato instead.
See the bottles →As an aperitif
The bottle is often opened before the food is served. Its low alcohol content makes a glass beforehand feel light. Melon with cured ham is a popular pairing. For salads, a nearly dry rosé moscato works well.
To the cocktails →Cocktails with a sweet sparkle
There aren't any true classic cocktails made with moscato. The wine is almost always enjoyed on its own. These four are made with prosecco or champagne, and are the closest in flavor.
Bellini
Add peach purée to the bottom of the glass, then slowly top up with prosecco.
Mimosa
Half orange juice, half sparkling wine, topped with a splash of Cointreau.
Kir Royal
Add crème de cassis to the glass and top up with champagne.
Hugo Spritz
Elderflower syrup, prosecco, sparkling water, mint, and lime in a large glass with ice.The right glass for moscato
A flute has a narrow opening, so the bubbles stay in for a long time. A small wine glass is wider at the bottom and releases more of the Muscat aroma. You can skip the coupe, which loses its bubbles quickly. These are the glasses we recommend.
Questions about moscato
Can't find your question here? Browse our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
To the cocktail recipes →What is moscato?
What percentage of alcohol does moscato contain?
Why is there so little alcohol in moscato?
How much sugar is in moscato?
Is moscato wine sweet?
Where does moscato come from?
Which glass should you use for moscato?
Buy Moscato
Want the bottle delivered straight to your door? Order Moscato online from Gall & Gall.
Alasia Moscato D'Asti
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