Muscat, Moscato, and Moscatel - Well, What's the Difference?
Author: Lindsay Alston
The Muscat grape is one of the oldest grape classes known to
the wine world. Rather than just being one grape, Muscat
includes a family of grapes, found in a range of colors: from
white to brown to near black. The two well-known replicas are
Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains, or Muscat Blanc for short, and
Muscat of Alexandria. The Muscat Blanc grape is the oldest
assortment and produces the most intense grape flavors. Small in
size, Muscat Blanc is not always white and it can produce both
dry and sweet wines. Muscat of Alexandria is larger and often
darker than the Muscat Blanc, and creates wines of intense
sweetness.
Moscatel is the Spanish phrase for Muscat. This most frequently
refers to Muscat d'Alexandrie, although there are many diverse
synonyms for Moscatel used in Spain and some may refer to the
nobler assortment of Muscat
Petits grains. Moscatel de Alejandria, Espana and Gordo are all
examples of Muscat d'Alexandrie and will be soft and aromatic
wines but usually of lesser quality. Moscatel is the white wine
of the Moscatel of Alexandria grape, counted among the castas
boas. It is seemingly no longer grown, but you can still find it
in some old vintages. Pereira D'Oliveira has a 1900 Moscatel
vintage that was still available in 2003.
Moscato is commonly known in Italy as Moscato di Canelli
because of the achievement of the Piedmont's wineries that have
made it legendary as Asti Spumante. Moscato is the fourth most
broadly planted grape in Italy. It is amazingly perfumed like
rose petals and lichee fruit, Moscato's fresh grape like
character is easy to distinguish, even when distilled as grappa.
The best examples unite creaminess, a bright, stimulating
fruitiness and a brisk, lasting finish. Moscato wines are either
a soft yellow or a pale gold color. This is a wine that does not
benefit from aging in oak barrels. Instead, fermentation usually
happens in steel vats so that the delicate fruit intricacy of
the wine is not lost. Moscato should be consumed instantly upon
its release.
The family of Muscat grapes
is large, but all the members share a flowery, strongly aromatic
character, like the smell and taste of Muscat table grapes. Some
are white, some black. The best variety of Muscat is generally
agreed to be the Muscat Blanc et Petits Grains. These grapes can
be made into wines of very varying styles, from light, sweetish,
low alcohol fizzy wine in Asti in north-west Italy; to dry,
fragrant whites in Alsace, the Italian Alps, South Africa,
Portugal and Spain and elsewhere; to very sweet, often fortified
Muscats in hot climates where the Muscat grapes can become
extremely ripe: Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise and others across
the south of France, Spanish Moscatel de Valencia, Greek Samos
Muscat, and the wonderful, super-sweet, raisiny Australian
Liqueur Muscats, to name a few.
About the author:
Lindsay Aston is a contributing editor for Classic Wines,
specializing in Muscat.
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