Wine Lingo
Muscat ("muss-CAT")

DISCOVER - February 18, 2010

Suddenly, musky is in...again! Muscat is one of the oldest varieties of grapes. Urns of wine likely made from Muscat have been found near the ancient Greek tomb of King Midas. No wonder just about every winemaking region in the world grows Muscat grapes. As a result, Muscat wines bear many names, such as Moscato in Italy and Moscatel in Spain and Portugal.

If that wasn't hard enough, Muscats can be sweet or dry, sparkling or still, and can range in color from white to pink to nearly red, brown or even black. Thankfully, all of them share an intense, sweet aroma of grapes (really!) as well as stone fruit, oranges and flowers.

Semi-sweet sparklers like Moscato d'Asti from Piedmont in Italy are tons of fun and great for breakfast. It's hard to find a bad one.

If dry wine is your thing, try a dry Muscat from Alsace, one of that region's four "noble grapes" (the others being Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer).

Next time skip the crème brulée, and pour a fortified Muscat from Australia for dessert! Some of the best values in fortified Muscats are made Down Under.

Try some of these to turn your day into gold.

Italian Sparkler
2008 Michele Chiarlo Nivole Moscato d'Asti. Widely available and full of flowery, peachy goodness. (~$12 - $14/375 ml).
www.KobrandWineAndSpirits.com

Australian Sparkler
2009 Innocent Bystander Pink Moscato from Victoria, Australia. Full of juicy acidity, floral apricot and raspberry fruit, just a hint sweetness. (~$10 - $12/375 ml).
www.InnocentBystander.com.au

Alsace
2007 Fernand Engel Muscat d'Alsace. Dry, crisp and minerally with aromas of orange peel and jasmine. (~$15 - $17/750 ml).

Fortified
NV Campbells Rutherglen Liqueur Muscat from Victoria, Australia. Intense viscosity and honeyed orange and caramel flavors. (~$15/375 ml).
www.CampbellsWines.com.au

Our Wine Lingo series discusses common but often unclear wine language.

Wine mark-ups and prices vary, and, as such, Wine Country Minute 00:60 cannot guarantee the accuracy of the listed prices. Please check around to find the best price and availability.

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