Moscatel and Muscat

Remember our old friend the Muscat family? We previously established that the various Muscat grapes can make a wide range of wines spanning the entire range from bone dry to lusciously sweet. We know that of the more than 200 individual Muscat grapes, a mere handful are widely and commonly available. To refresh your memory, they were:

• Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains
• Muscat of Alexandria
• Muscat of Hamburg
• Muscat Ottonel

Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains accounts for the majority of Muscat wines you are likely to see, and the other three are relatively common too. What about Moscatel, then? Where does it fit in?

What is Moscatel?

Moscatel is the name given to a fortified wine from Portugal made from Muscat grapes. Moscatel is the Portuguese name for Muscat, and in this case doesn’t refer to a specific grape but rather the wine itself. The specific grape in this case is most likely to be Muscat of Alexandria, perhaps better known as the grape used in the French Vins Doux Naturels. Moscatel wines come from the Setúbal and Duoro regions of Portugal, and may be labelled as Moscatel de Setubal or Moscatel Duoro. Moscatel wines are aged for at least two years prior to their release, in either stainless steel tanks or oak barrels. Some higher-end examples can be aged for considerably longer. Portuguese Moscatel wines are of a very high quality, and considered on par with the country’s other top fortified wines Port, Madeira and Carcavelos.

Is Moscatel wine always sweet?

Portuguese Moscatel wines are fortified wines, whose production involves the addition of a high-alcohol neutral grape spirit to halt fermentation. This means that the natural sugars present in the Muscat of Alexandria grapes are not fully fermented (or converted to alcohol), and there is invariably residual sugar left over. The resulting wines are sweet, and also high in alcohol. While there are many dry Muscat wines available, you will not find a dry Portuguese Moscatel wine.

How to enjoy Moscatel wine

Moscatel is an incredibly versatile wine, which can be served by itself as a digestif, with food or in a cocktail.

For food and wine pairings, you’ve got a few options. As a sweet dessert wine, Moscatel is a natural fit for sugary desserts, like sticky toffee puddings. Cheeses are also Moscatel-friendly: It makes an interesting pairing with blue cheese, for example, so consider it instead of a Sauternes next time! Beyond dessert, Moscatel is great with a variety of small tapas-style dishes, what the Portuguese call “petiscos”.

The Portuguese often enjoy Moscatel wines as part of a cocktail.

• Combine three parts Moscatel with two parts gin, shake with ice and garnish with thyme and you’ve got an Azeitão Alambre. Serve this one in a Martini glass and you’ll blend right in.

• For an Alambre Tónico: Take a tall glass, add 6cl Moscatel wine and 3 ice cubes and then fill with tonic water. Garnish with sliced grapes, lemon and mint leaves.

How do you like to enjoy Moscatel or other fortified wines?

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La entrada Is Moscatel wine always sweet? se publicó primero en Blog INVINIC.

What is Muscat?

Muscat is a wine grape, or more accurately the word “Muscat” refers to a family of over 200 wine grapes. Don’t panic, though, we don’t expect you to know them all. In fact, you’ll go pretty far by only knowing a handful of them.

• The most important is surely Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains, commonly referred to as Muscat Blanc and also known as Muscat Canelli, Moscato d’Asti, Moscato Bianco, Brown Muscat and many more besides. In Spain it is often known as Muscat de Grano Menudo. Confused yet? Stick with us. Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains produces tiny berries and wines with a distinctive floral and grapelike aroma. The wines can range from sweet to dry, and may be sparkling or still. Major producing regions for Muscat wines of this type include Spain, France, Italy, South Africa, Greece and Australia.

• Muscat of Alexandria is another member of the Muscat family, though produces wines on a smaller scale and of a lower profile than Muscat Blanc. It is a popular eating grape and produces wines in regions including California and in France, where it is blended with Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains in the fortified sweet wines known as Vins doux naturel.

• Muscat of Hamburg, also known as Black Muscat, is a dark-skinned grape which is atypical for the Muscat family. It is most commonly used to produce dessert wines in California, and is growing in popularity as a blending grape in China.

• Muscat Ottonel is the primary type of Muscat grown in the French region of Alsace, known far and wide for its white wines. It is also the main Muscat to be found in Austria, often used to produce sweet late harvest wines. It is increasingly common in Central European vineyards in the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania and beyond.

Muscat wines to try

Reading about wine can be fascinating, but the best way to learn is surely by tasting and enjoying the wines themselves with good company. If this feels like it has been a day in school, then here’s your homework: Taking the most important Muscat grape, Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains, we suggest that you pick up a number of interesting bottles and explore the Muscat style for yourself!

• MdO Moscato de Ochoa is a low-alcohol, lightly sparkling Muscat wine from the Navarra region in Spain. Very close to the Italian Moscato d’Asti style, this one is incredibly versatile with or without food, and its 5.5% alcohol content makes it an ideal accompaniment to a summer lunch. It is semi-sweet in style, and is one very interesting expression of Muscat.

• Sumarroca Muscat from Sumarroca is a still white wine produced in the Penèdes region. It is a dry expression of Muscat, though has a lot of fruit and floral character. This is a highly refreshing bottle that you could easily substitute for a Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay the next time you want to impress your guests with something a little different!

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La entrada An introduction to the intriguing – and sometimes confusing – world of Muscat wines se publicó primero en Blog INVINIC.