The Best Moscato Wines for Al Fresco Sipping
The Best Moscato Wines for Al Fresco Sipping
If the name moscato conjures images of your youthful drinking days, you're not alone. Moscato, a wine made from the muscat grape, has offered many of us an entry into the world of wine, thanks to its approachable citrus and core-fruit palette, sweetness, and generally low-alcohol nature. But none of that should be taken to mean that moscato is immature.
In fact, muscat grapes are one of the oldest varietals on the planet and have been used in winemaking since ancient times. Since the early 2000s, moscato wines have gained an increasing market share, so if it's been a while since you enjoyed a glass, here are the best bottles to welcome moscato back to your palette.
Saracco Moscato d'Asti 2017
wine.com
$15.99
By far the most recognizable style of moscato wine, moscato d'asti hails from the Piedmont region of Italy. Light-bodied and frizzante (the Italian distinction that separates subtly sparkling wines from more intensely bubbling versions like franciacorta) this bottle offers flavors of summer fruit and white flowers that fit perfectly at a garden party or as a pre-dinner refresher.
Ceretto Santo Stefano Moscato d'Asti
wine.com
$21.99
At a delicate 5 percent alcohol by volume (for reference, the typical California cabernet sauvignon clocks in between 13-15 percent) this pale gold sparkler with tropical fruit notes is ideal for those between hours of the afternoon or late in the evening when you're craving a drink that won't weigh you down or go to your head.
Batasiolo Moscato d'Asti Bosc dla Rei
wine.com
$16.99
Notes of fresh rose and sticky green figs make this subtly bubbling wine a natural pairing for a cheese plate, rich charcuterie, or even a classic panettone.
Mondoro Sparkling Asti Spumante
wine.com
$16.98
More sparkling than moscato d'asti, asti spumante styles are share a similar flavor profile with a more robust bubble. If you've been looking for the perfect wine to sip poolside, look no further.
Quady Essensia Orange Muscat
wine.com
$21.99
Though moscato's most famous style may originate in Italy, the Italians are far from the only ones to realize the appeal of muscat grapes. This bottle of still dessert wine out of California uses them to balance the fruit's natural sweetness with a bright acidity that offsets notes of citrus ring, honey, and toasted nuts.
Zind-Humbrecht Muscat
wine.com
$26.99
While "sweet" and "dry" may seem like polar opposites, this Alsacian muscat finds the balance perfectly, shoring up the notes of stonefruit and flowers with enough acid and crisp minerality to ensure it never falls flat on the palette.
Campbells Rutherglen Muscat
Campbells
wine.com
$21.99
With a deeper, more tannic note than most other moscato wines, and an intense sweetness (the Rutherglen style is one of the sweetest moscato styles) this award-winning Australian bottle offers long-finishing notes of dried fruit, caramelized sugar, and hints of wood and spice that make it just right as a dessert pairing (or substitute).
These sweet sips are having a moment.