Muscat Love is Sweeping the Country

Sweet white wines are becoming all the rage in the U.S., especially when they are made with Muscat grapes.

Muscat History

Moscato (Italian for Muscat) derives from the Muscat family of vinifera grapes. It is one of the oldest winemaking grapes in the world, probably originating in Ancient Greece.  It is part of a family of grapes with over 200 varieties including Muscat Blanc a’ Petits Grains, Muscat of Alexandria, Muscat Ottonel and Black Muscat.  The grapes colors range from white to nearly black.

Muscat Blanc a’ Petits Grains is considered the most dignified of the Muscat grapes and one of the oldest grape varieties to still exist.  This white grape is also called Muscat de Frontignan, Moscatel de Grano Menudo, and Muscat Canelli, and Yellow Muscat. In France it is used as a blending grape.  In Italy, it is the oldest known variety of grape grown in the Piedmont region and is used in the sparkling Asti Spumante wines. This is the most popular of the Muscat grapes.

The Muscat of Alexandria grape originated in Egypt and is one of the oldest genetically unmodified vines to still exist. Legend has it that Cleopatra drank Muscat wine. This white grape is also called Moscatel, Muscat Gordo Blanco and Lexia.  It is used mainly to make sherry or muscatel wine in Australia and South Africa. Muscat of Alexandria is the second most popular of the Muscat grapes and is also sold as white raisins and table grape.  This wine is very sweet with an earthy taste.

Muscat Ottonel is another white wine grape first cultivated in Alsace in 1852.  This grape is crafted mainly into dessert wines in Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Croati, and made into a dry wine in Slovakia, Hungary and Alsace.

Black Muscat is also called Golden Muscat, Muscat Hamburg and Moscato di Amburgo.  In the U.S. and Eastern Europe it use it for table wine or sparkling wine.  It may also be used as a blending grape for dessert wines. In Italy, France and Australia it is served as a table grape.  The juice is very aromatic and produces a red wine.

As you can see, the Muscat grape family is versatile and can be used to craft sparking wines, Sherry, dry whites, late harvest dessert wines, ice wines and Brandy.  It is also mixed with vodka to create unique bar drinks.

The Rise of Moscato

According to A.C. Nielsen, the sales of Moscato wines have grown over 80% in the United States within the past year. Muscat wines are now the fastest growing wines in the country, nudging Sauvignon Blanc out as the third most popular wine in the U.S. (Pinot Grigio is second, with Chardonnay coming in first.)

But times were not always so sweet for Moscato.  During the 1980’s and 90’s, Muscat grapes were not popular.  People still associated the name Muscat with Muscatel, a generic term for many sweet, cheap wines produced in California until the 1960’s.   By borrowing the Italian name Moscato for those wines made from Muscat grapes, a new wine favorite has appeared.  Experts predict Moscato has the capability of becoming as popular with wine drinkers as White Zinfandel once was. In fact, White Zin lovers are now seeking out Moscatos as their ‘go-to’ wine.

Today’s Moscato drinkers are mainly under the age of 45, with millennials' (those born during the eighties to mid-nineties) as the key purchasers of this type of wine.  Many site having been influenced by its mention in Hip-hop songs and videos as one of the reasons they’ve tried it. And this group does not relegate Muscat wine just for dessert.  They pair it with all types of food and enjoy it throughout the meal.

Gallo’s Barefoot wines introduced its Moscato in 2008.  It is now the number one brand of Moscato in the U.S., followed by Sutter Home, and Yellow Tail, taking the third position in popularity. If you’re looking to try a red Moscato, check out Beringer.  All are sweet, low alcohol and usually priced around $10, perfect for the new wine lover.

Wine Profile

So what should you expect from a Moscato wine?

• A floral, fruity or musky aroma.

• Low alcohol levels, usually 7 to 9%.  (Think wine coolers.)

• Flavors of apple, fruit, or spice.

• The color of the wine can vary from light yellow to dark amber, to red, depending on the grape used.

• This wine is best served chilled.

• Most sweet Moscatos usually sell around $10 to $15.

For food pairing ideas consider serving with a berry fruit tart, apple pie, gingerbread, milk chocolate, or Gorgonzola cheese.

This is the perfect wine for those new to wine or the wine drinker who is searching for a lighter, sweeter wine.  And Moscato is excellent as a cool summer sipping wine.

Muscat or Moscato – Regardless of how you pronounce it, this is one wine trend that will continue to make headlines around the world!  So -

Enjoy!

~ Joy

What Makes a Wine Dry, Medium, or Sweet?

If you're new to wine, the 'dry, medium, or sweet' question can be confusing. Wines are classified as dry, semi-dry, medium or sweet in order to give you an idea of how sweet the wine will taste.  Just remember that sugar is not the only factor that affects the taste of sweetness in a wine.   It can also be influenced by the level of alcohol, acidity, and amount of tannins in the wine.

There are numerous types of sugars found in all grapes starting with simple sugar.  There is also fructose and glucose that help aid in fermentation, and trace amounts of other sugars that are not fermentable. These are the sugars that guarantee that no wine is “bone dry.”

When it comes to sweetening, a wine a winemaker has three methods to choose from:  1) Adding sugar to it––usually sucrose or common table sugar.  2) Stopping the fermentation process before the yeast has consumed all the fructose and glucose.  This will help retain more of the “fruit” in the wine.  3) Adding a concentrated grape juice back to the wine after fermentation, raising the fruit taste but simpler than stopping the ferment early. 

The actual combined content of all these remaining sugars in a wine is called residual sugar. Home winemaking kits use a standard urine sugar test kit for diabetics to measure this. (Not kidding!)  And there will always be some residual sugar because not all sugars produced during the growth of the grape are fermentable.

Other components will also affect the wine's mouth-feel and taste of sweetness as well.  Acidity helps to counter sweetness, and tannins (which occur naturally in grape skins, seeds and stems,) create a more bitter taste, making the wine less sweet.  Unfiltered wines will have more protein particles from the grape skins and grape connective tissue, adding a not always unpleasant harshness when in balance. 

There are many ways to measure a wine’s sweetness.  Winemakers generally use a simple device called a hydrometer that is floated in the wine and measures the difference between the floating point of the wine and the standard floating point of pure water.  These devices are standardized to 12.5% alcohol solutions and take into account the fact that alcohol is lighter than water and sugar is heavier.  The gradient used is called specific gravity.  

A sweet wine is just that – sweet!  This is usually the type of wine beginners like.  With a high sugar content, a sweet wine will have fruity, intense flavors.  The residual sugar is 5.0% or higher for a sweet wine.

A semi sweet or medium sweet wine has some sweetness in the taste and aroma.  The residual sugar for a medium wine ranges from 1.5 to 4.9%.

A semi dry wine is also called off dry or medium dry.  A semi dry red or white wine has a level of 0.5 to 1.49% residual sugar.  A semi dry wine has a hint of sweetness and more of a ‘fruity’ taste than a dry wine.

A dry red wine will not have the taste of sweetness, due to the sugars being fermented into alcohol, and the tannins and acidity in the wine.  In fact, a dry red may leave the feeling of dryness on your tongue and a bit of a puckering sensation in your mouth.  Red wines are described as being tannic, just like tea.  Dry reds include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Bordeaux and Burgundy.

A dry white may have the aroma of sweetness and full fruity flavors, but no real sweetness in the wine itself. This is due to the acidity of the grapes or fruit, and not caused by sugar.  White wines are described as being astringent.  Dry white wines include Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio.

A dry wine (red or white) should have less than 0.5% residual sugar.  As mentioned, it is rare to find a wine that has a residual sugar level of less than 0.1% due to the natural sweetness in the grapes or fruits used to make the wine.

Hopefully, the next time you're asked the dreaded 'dry, sweet, off dry, semi sweet' question, you'll know the answer.  Now pour yourself a glass of wine (your choice on the sweetness level ; ) and celebrate the fact that wine can be as scientific, educational, and as approachable as you want.  The choice is yours just remember to –

Enjoy!


(Special thanks to my husband, Brian Neighbors, a professional winemaker for 20 years, and his explanations on sugars, residual sugar, and how the process works!)

 ~ Joy