Moscato d'Asti

One of the truly great things I love about wine is the continual journey of discovery that it takes you on. Just when you think that you’ve got a good grasp of what’s going on in the wine world – BAM – suddenly something new comes along and hits you out of the park.

Well…something “new” to you and me maybe, but generally not something “new” to the people who have been making and drinking that wine for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

I imagine that these people are constantly bemused when wine aficionados and writers like me suddenly “discover” something that they’ve known their whole lives. It must be like when I was about 13 years old and I told my dad that I had just “discovered” The Beatles. So, if you’re already a big, big fan of Moscato D’Asti, if you are already aware of the pure joy that can be found in the best bottles, if you’ve ever sat down with a group of friends on a sunny spring afternoon and wondered just where that fifth bottle actually went, then I apologise unreservedly – because I’m about to unearth the Beatles for you again

About the style

For those of you who are not familiar with this Northern Italian darling (and I envy you your imminent discovery) then read on, for you are about be exposed to the most succulent of treats

But, before I go on and get into any heavy detail about Moscato D’Asti, let me just say this (by way of warning to some – you know who you are!). Moscato D’Asti is not a serious wine. The Miles Davis of the wine world it is not. Moscato D’Asti is more Betty Boop, more The Go Go’s, more Prince before he went (publicly) strange. It’s all about floral dresses and crisp spring mornings, fresh daisy chains and skipping. It’s an “Oh…that’s a funny joke Ha Ha Ha… can I have some more as I appear to have already finished the bottle” type of wine. It’s a sweet little fizz in a glass that may not instantly appeal to the “serious” wine connoisseurs amongst us, but the faithful, who put their biases aside and take this wine as it is intended to be taken, will be generously rewarded.

Now, having got that straight…

Moscato D’Asti is a unique style of wine, made from the Moscato Bianco grape (plain old Muscat to you and me) in a specifically (and legally) prescribed area in the Piedmont region at the foot of the Alps in Northern Italy (hence Pied [foot] and Mont [mountain]). It’s style is typically fresh, moderately sweet and slightly fizzy or spritzy (“frizzante” if you just happened to be in Italy). It typically tastes of fresh green grapes, elderberry, young oranges, flowers and sunshine (just kidding!). The best examples have racy acidity and a liveliness that is a fine balance to the fresh fruit sweetness. It is not generally very long on the palate, or overly complex, however, it makes up for this with its sheer unadulterated drinkability. Speaking of drinkability, the alcohol content of Moscato D’Asti is typically low, hovering around 5-6%, so it’s ideally suited to long lunches and hot afternoons in the sun.

What to get and how...

At the moment Moscato D’Asti can be a little difficult to find in most retail wine outlets in Australia. Dan Murphys does, however, stock a limited, but quite respectable, range and you are probably likely to find a decent selection at most reputable independent wine store, particularly those that tend to stock a selection of imported wines.

There are also a number of Australian wines made in this style and sold as a Moscato variety – Brown Brothers Moscato is one example. Personally I would steer clear of these home grown versions. All of the Australian Moscato’s that I’ve tasted lack the requisite acidity that is required to balance the residual sugar and fruit and keep the wine tasting fresh and lively (which is the whole point), and, given that they are pretty much priced at the same level as the imports, I know which ones I’d choose every time.

Anyway…go and test them yourselves and discover the joy that is Moscato D,Asti.

Matt