Wine
Muscat
A chameleon varietal, this produces a range of wines including light, sweet, and fizzy Asti Spumante, bone dry and minerally Alsatian examples, and concentrated syrupy dessert wines.
Flavor Descriptors
Very floral and expressive, Muscat offers fresh grapey flavors, honeysuckle, apricot, peach, and often a mild musky spice. It generally is not oaked.
Food Pairings
Moscato d’Asti, Asti Spumante
Fruit salad, strawberries, apple/pear tarts, lemon meringue, cream pies, and yellow cakes.
Alsace, France
Mild cheeses, charcuterie, Alsatian onion tart.
Dessert
Strong cheeses, nuts, apple/pear tarts, pecan pie.
Buying, Storing, & Serving
Muscat/Moscato should be served chilled, but not ice cold.
Almost all examples are ready to drink when released and should not be aged, although dessert style versions can age for several years. A general rule of thumb is fresher is better.
Store bottles in a cool, dark place. While it is now common for wine makers to use plastic corks or screw-top closures which may be stored vertically or horizontally, those with the traditional corks should be laid on their sides to keep them moist.