As part of our World of Sweet Wines series of articles, we shine the spotlight on Moscato – perhaps the most well known type of sweet and semi-sweet wine (also dry, as you’ll soon read).
Made from muscat grapes, Moscato is immensely popular because of its smooth floral taste. While most Moscato wines are sweet, there are dry ones, also sparkling ones, and the level of sweetness varies greatly. We focus on Italy and France because those two countries are where the quality and volume of Moscato is the greatest. And you’re in for a treat because our winemaker will take you through a video tasting of dry, semi-sweet and sweet styles of Italian Moscato!
Moscato is most commonly made into sweet still and sparkling wines that are either white or rosé, though there a rare exceptions where it is made into a red version. It can be appealing to lovers of low-alcohol wines as they come as low as 5% which is ideal to drink on the hot days before us in summer 2025. It is a very versatile wine that pairs well with a variety of dishes and occasions, much like the honey wine we make.
We invite you to continue reading to learn about this fascinating wine and some unknown gems beyond your grocery or local wine shop offerings.
What is Moscato?
As noted Moscato is made from the muscat grapes, of which there are over 200 varieties, and are one of the oldest varieties of grape (Vitis vinifera) under cultivation. Muscat grapes range in color from white to different grades of yellow, to pink and even to near black (muscat hamburg). They have been made into light, perfumed and aromatic wines for thousands of years with origins likely in Persia – although there is debate on this issue. These light fruity wines express notes of tropical fruits, mandarin orange, and white flowers like honeysuckle.
The wines display a delicate balance of acidity and sweetness making it very pleasing to both new and experienced wine drinkers. Whether you are looking for a light drink for a warm summer day, a refreshing drink with your main course, or a sweet companion to a dessert – Moscato is the way to go!
Incredibly, we describe in The Celebrated Story of Honey Wine how the classical writers Columella and Pliny the Elder both wrote about honey wine, and the same pair also wrote about “a very ‘muscat-like’ grape varieties such as Anathelicon Moschaton and Apianae that were very sweet and attractive to bees,” according to Wikipedia on the muscat grape page. Clearly these two had good taste!
Moscato Wine Flavor Profiles
Each type of Moscato wine and region has a unique flavor influenced by the characteristics of the region where it is produced.
For example, Italian Moscato from the Oltrepo Pavese and Colli Euganei varieties often have notes of sage and orange blossoms, French Muscat is more inclined to have distinct flavors of apricot, peach, and orange blossom.
Each Moscato wine provides a distinct experience on the palate, influenced by its place of origin, discovering these wines is an informative and exciting journey.
When paired with food the sweetness and characteristic aromas of orange blossom and peaches shine through. It loves spicy foods, especially the flavors of Asian dishes, and creates a pleasant contrast with the creamy texture of soft cheeses like brie and gorgonzola.
The Best Moscato Wines
Moscato wines are produced in different regions around the world. The style varies which is a result of the influence of the variety of muscat, winemaking techniques used as well as the terroir where the vines grow. The two most important countries for Moscato production are Italy and France so that’s where wewill focus.
Italian Moscato
Italy is the center of popular Moscato production and quality Italian Moscato wines warrant a separate article to themselves (just like French Moscato), so here we give you a brief introduction to whet your appetite.
For example, this year, the Moscato Passito al Governo di Saracena ’15 , won the famous Gambero Rosso ‘Tre Bicchieri’ award for ‘Meditation Wine of the Year’. Seriously folks, meditate on that – from the tens of thousands of fine Italian wine labels, a Moscato wins the day!
Let’s start with Piedmont region which is famous for the sparkling Moscato d’Asti DOCG (a bottle is included in the tasting video below) and the less acclaimed Asti Spumante. Note that laws for the production of Moscato d’Asti are much stricter than Asti Spumante. However, both will bewitch the palate of wine lovers with their light fresh bubbles and fruitiness – all under 5% alcohol!
The notable dry Moscatos come mostly from the north of Italy – in the video below we taste an exceptional dry one from Alto-Adige. Interestingly, Alto-Adige also makes some of the best, but little known, sweeter styles of Moscato. The two notable varieties from this region are moscato giallo and moscato rosa, translated to yellow and red respectively.
Piedmonte & Alto Adige are just two notable regions making exceptional Moscatos in a long list that includes many of Italy’s 20 regions. Including Sardinia where the popular Moscato di Sorso-Sennori was born.
In Tuscany one finds Moscadello di Montalcino (incredibly from the region famous from the deep red wine, Brunello) made from the rare moscadelletto strain of muscat. Alas, Moscadello di Montalcino, is famously hard to find. But don’t despair because our Bee d’Vine demi sec honey wine or sparkling is not and it very closely resembles the taste profile of Moscadello di Montalcino.
Finally we go to Sicily where one finds the very sweet Moscato made in the passito style: Moscato di Pantelleria from the island of Pantelleria on the southern coast of Sicily. There is the regular style and the richer, sweeter passito style. Recall from our article, World of Sweet Wines, that passito is a style made from grapes hanging on the vine and turning into raisins (we the include a fine Moscato di Pantelleria passito in the video tasting below).
So with this introduction watch along as we taste a dry (Alto-Adige), semi sweet (Moscato d’Asti) and a sweet (Passito di Sicilia) Moscato. To learn more about our winemaker see Ayele’s journey in perfecting Bee d’Vine Honey Wine.
Watch our Winemaker’s Tasting Video of three Distinct Styles of Moscato
French Moscato
French Moscato, while not having the international cache of Italian ones, are made in greater volumes than anywhere else in the world. The majority of wines made from muscat grapes come from the wider Languedoc-Roussillon region and in particular Rivesaltes – a historic village along the Agly River.
Ironically they are not widely known outside of France yet are acclaimed among wine enthusiasts. Before we begin, note to be careful not to mistakenly pick up a bottle of (dry) Muscadet on your hunt for good French Moscato (Muscadet is from the Loire Valley as it has no relation to muscat grapes). The same with the muscadelle grape variety, one of the two varieties permitted in the the grand sweet Sauternes of Bordeaux – which we dedicated a full article to – it has no relation to muscat / Moscato either.
Four villages in Languedoc have been famous since the 19th Century for their Moscato, and are typically made form the muscat blanc a petits grains variety. Muscat de Frontogmam from the village of Frontignan is historically famous but like many sweet wines lost favor at the beginning of the 20th Century (a parallel decline in honey wine consumption as retold in our honey wine book).
Another good but less known muscat wine from Frontignan is Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise and is a better value for price. The villages of Lunel, Saint-Jean-de-Minervois and Mireval in Languedoc all make similar and even more intense Moscatos, and they are also good value wines since these villages are not as well known as Frontignan.
Staying in Languedoc-Roussillon, the village of Rivesaltes is another historic producer of Moscato from either muscat blanc à petits or greater-yielding muscat of Alexandria. As mentioned above, here is where most of the world’s muscat grape production comes from – it is difficult to comprehend that few are aware of this outside of France (or of course, enlightened readers like yourself).
There is the ‘standard’ Rivesaltes, which is aged at least 16 months, or the more fruity fresher Muscat de Rivesaltes – both made by adding alcohol to stop the fermentation and using either the solera system or rancio style for aging (exposed to air and heat yielding a butterscotch and oxidized flavor and appearance).
These wines come in red, white or amber (through the mentioned ranchio technique) and are similar to a light port and can be served over ice as an aperitif. Note that wines labeled as Rivesaltes can also be made from a few other grape varieties such as malvasia and grenache.
For a drier style of Moscato we move to the Rhône Valley and village of Beaumes-de-Venise which produces a very particular wine which tastes dry – and explodes with flavors of apricots – but is not particularly dry. Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise is made by fortifying with alcohol to stop fermentation, but is lighter and more elegant, not heavy, like port.
While in the Rhône Valley, or when ordering online, or visiting a quality wine shop – be sure to try Clairette de Die from the village of Die situated on the banks of the river Drôme. This refreshing and very rare French sparkling Moscato comes alive with flavors of stone-fruit, citrus and roses – made from muscat a petits grains strain blended with clairette – it’s about 7% alcohol and is light and refreshing. The method of production is ancestral or petillant naturel, a method we’ve done some experiments with on both honey and grape wine – check out our Instagram and Facebook posts from April and November 2023.
We end our review of French Moscato with a very particular dry Moscato from Alsalce – Mucat d’Alsace made with muscat à petits grains and almost clear in color muscat ottonel. This incredibly aromatic bright yellow Moscato is as dry as it gets – enjoy with seafood, salads or perhaps the lightly topped flammekueche! On second thought, let’s end on the sweeter side of Alsatian Moscato. One of the four permitted grape varieties for late harvest, vendage tardive, dessert wine from Alsace is indeed muscat, but these intensely sweet wines are incredibly hard to find outside of Alsace (and it really does look and taste like honey wine).
Other Notable Muscat Regions
Rutherglen Muscat, from Victoria Australia, is a unique type of Moscato made into a fortified wine with a subtle brown tint from grapes that have almost completely dried out. Austria, Germany, Portugal, Spain and the United States, and are also known for making Moscato wines of outstanding quality.
How Should You Serve Moscato Wine?
As with any wine, serving Moscato at the correct temperature will express its best attributes. Sparkling Moscato is best enjoyed at 40°F (4°C), non-sparkling versions can be slightly warmer – the rule of thumb being the greater the body, aging and structure of the wine the warmer it can/should be.
Serving a white wine too warm shows your impatience to chill it, while serving a high quality Moscato too cold indicates something more sinister: high-roller you’re not as refined as the wine you’re capable of purchasing. Partial jokes aside, a very cold premium Moscato will not allow it to express it’s true character potential. The caveat to this heuristic is fortified Moscato, which can be served very cold and even served with ice as an aperitif.
Where Will Moscato Take You?
Moscato is a versatile wine, it is enjoyed by many wine drinkers for its very approachable style. Yet when you look under the covers, as we’ve done, it’s a variety with a long history, diverse taste, mostly sweet, or semi-sweet but also found in dry.
Incredibly, all of these attributes sound exactly like honey wine – bursting with fresh fruitiness, big aromas, a delightful sweetness, and sometimes low alcohol. Moscato wines offer an exciting experience that can be enjoyed on their own as an aperitif, as dessert, or paired with a wide array of different foods.
We invite you to explore some of the artisanal makers and regions that go beyond the pedestrian industrial Moscato labels readily available. The families producing these masterpieces, and your palate, will thank you. Salute & santé!