What is Moscato? The Little-Known Details About This Heavenly Wine

Last Updated on August 1st, 2023

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Moscato is a wine variety created from Muscat wine grapes that are believed to originate on the Mediterranean Coast. It is said that it’s unclear whether the Romans, the Greeks, or the Phoenicians introduced the grape strain. However, Muscat grapes are known to be one of the oldest grape strains in France. 

Despite the origin, Muscat grapes are grown all over the world today. The grapes of the Muscat family include over 200 grape varieties ranging in colors. Their colors range in colors such as white, yellow, pink, and black. 

People gossiping with wine glasses in hands - What is Moscato?

How is Moscato different from other wines?

Although Moscato is created from the very seemingly historic Muscat grape variety, it’s not what makes the wine unique for many of its consumers. Other wines typically carry aroma notes of mandarin, pear, lemon, orange, or honeysuckle, while Moscato’s notes set it apart. 

The wine is known to have a unique floral aroma. Moscato carries a unique chemical compound of Linalool, a naturally occurring alcohol found in a plethora of spice plants such as cinnamon and mint. Linalool is even flowers such as lavender and rose.

How would I describe Moscato?

Moscato is known as a sweet Italian wine. The relatively cheap wine has medium to low acidic levels, which makes it a favorable choice for those who avoid acidic wines. Moscato’s low alcohol content also makes it a preferred choice of dessert wine for any casual events. 

What are the different types of Moscato?

Moscato comes in five specific types or categories that are all created in unique ways with the different color varieties of the Muscat grapes. See the list below:

  • Moscato Dessert Wines
  • Pink Moscato 
  • Still Moscato
  • Sparkling and Semi-Sparkling Moscato
  • Red Moscato

Who typically likes to drink Moscato?

Anyone who is reluctant to try new wines might favor Moscato. The wine variety it’s created from remains the same. There are many different versions of the wine (listed above). Anyone who favors the different types of wine, such as dessert wine, sparkling wine, etc., will enjoy the wide variety of options Moscato offers. 

Final Thoughts on Moscato

Moscato is different due to its unique floral aroma and its multi-colored Muscat grape, found to have over 200 varieties. The beverage is not only low in alcohol content but also has a relatively low acidic content compared to other wines. There are five different types of Moscato: 

  • dessert
  • pink
  • still
  • red
  • sparkling to semi-sparkling

This makes it perfect for those who are hesitant to stray to another type of wine too quickly or even someone who wants to try many different wines within the same title, such as Moscato. 

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