Beverage
Muscat
Muscat covers a family of aromatic grapes (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, Muscat of Alexandria, and kin) that taste unmistakably of fresh grape, orange blossom, and peach. Styles range from dry Alsace and Italian dry Moscato through lightly sparkling Asti to fortified and sweet Mediterranean dessert wines. Intensity is high; acid varies by site and type, but perfume is never shy—even dry versions read floral and grapey rather than mineral and lean. Pair dry or off-dry Muscat with lightly spiced dishes, fruit salads, and mild blue cheese; sweet styles with fruit tarts and nuts. In cooking, a splash of dry Muscat can perfume fruit reductions and light syrups; avoid heavy pan work where alcohol and sugar concentrate into jammy heat. Sparkling Moscato d’Asti is a brunch and dessert glass more than a kitchen stock.
Also known as: Muscat, Moscato
Track this ingredient
Characteristics
Preparations
Traits
Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Ancient Mediterranean growers cultivated Muscat types among the earliest named aromatic wine grapes.
French and Italian regions codified dry, sweet, and fortified Muscat styles still sold today.
Australian Rutherglen and other warm sites built fortified and late-harvest Muscat renown.