Moscato

Moscato is a sweet, highly aromatic white wine most famously associated with Italy, packed with peach, apricot and citrus alongside orange blossom and honeysuckle. Often light in alcohol and sometimes gently sparkling, it’s brilliant with fruit desserts, cheesecake, spicy Asian food, fresh berries and creamy desserts.

Taste:

Sweet, floral and basically summer in a glass.

Moscato is typically sweet and light-bodied, with flavours of ripe peach, apricot, orange and citrus. Expect plenty of floral aromas too, particularly orange blossom, honeysuckle and sometimes rose.

One of Moscato’s most distinctive features is its fresh grape-like flavour – and yes, “tastes like grapes” is finally a completely acceptable wine tasting note.

Many styles have a gentle fizz and relatively low alcohol, while fresh acidity keeps all that sweetness lively rather than heavy.

Fragrant, fruity, fizzy and easy to drink. Moscato isn't exactly making you work for it.

Food Pairings:

Moscato is brilliant with fruit-based desserts and spicy food.

For dessert, try it with cheesecake, peach tart, apricot tart, fruit tart, pavlova, panna cotta, strawberries and cream or a fresh fruit salad.

It works particularly well with peaches, apricots, strawberries, raspberries and tropical fruit, echoing the fruity flavours already in the wine.

Moscato’s sweetness also makes it a great partner for spicy Asian food. Try Thai green curry, Thai red curry, spicy noodles or dishes featuring chilli, ginger and aromatic spices. The sweetness helps balance the heat while the acidity keeps everything fresh.

For cheese, creamy options such as Brie and mascarpone-based dishes can work beautifully.

Similar Wines:

If you enjoy Moscato, Moscato d’Asti is essential exploring for a lightly sparkling, low-alcohol expression from Piedmont.

Asti Spumante brings more bubbles while keeping Moscato’s signature peachy, floral character.

Muscat Blanc lets you explore the wider Muscat family, including styles ranging from completely dry to intensely sweet.

For something aromatic but different, Gewürztraminer brings lychee, rose and spice into the mix.

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More About Moscato:

Moscato is the Italian name commonly used for wines made from grapes in the Muscat family, one of the oldest and most widespread families of grape varieties in the world.

In Italy, Moscato Bianco is particularly important in Piedmont, where it’s responsible for Moscato d’Asti and Asti.

Muscat grapes contain naturally high levels of aromatic compounds called terpenes, which help explain their famously floral, fruity and unmistakably grapey aroma.

Depending on where and how it's made, Moscato can be still, sparkling, dry, sweet or even fortified.

Same grape family, wildly different outcomes.

Moscato likes to keep its options open.