Moscato D’Asti Wine Guide
Today we will still talk about Moscato d’Asti, a delicious sweet wine like honey, delicate, low in alcohol, perfect to drink as a meditation wine or to accompany great Italian desserts.
We have already spoken extensively about Moscato as a grape variety and if you are interested in its history or more technical insights, we refer you to the Moscato Bianco page.
But that of Moscato is a very large family, there are many and each area has given hospitality to a particular clone of Moscato. But today we will focus on Moscato d’Asti DOCG, the finest, richest, but also more artisanal version and we will leave aside Asti Spumante, an industrial giant produced in large quantities, so much so that it is among the best-selling sparkling wines in the world.
Organoleptic characteristics of Moscato d’Asti
Moscato d’Asti is quite the opposite: it is the result of care, craftsmanship and small vineyards that have been consecrated to this mythical vine. In Piedmont, Moscato d’Asti is a very light wine, which can be both still and slightly sparkling, with an alcohol content reduced to an interval between 4.5 and 6.5 degrees. Exactly it is a freshly fermented fruit juice, sweet and velvety nectar, but still fresh, sharp, always ready to amaze you with phantasmagoric, floral, fruity scents of musk, mint, honey and dried fruit.
When you drink it, Moscato d’Asti is sweet, but never too stylized, it moves naturally, is easy, easy to drink, well designed, but never caged in a stylistic code such as Asti spumante, unfortunately.
History of Moscato d’Asti
Many believe that Pliny the Elder was referring to Moscato when he spoke of the Apiana grape, so sweet and fragrant that it drove bees crazy. Others think it was brought to Middle East Europe, brought by the Crusaders as they returned from the Crusades. Much more simply, Moscato is a Greek grape variety, present in Samos since the time of Achilles and his gang of warriors.
Differences between Moscato d’Asti and Asti Spumante
Making the comparison is merciless and also incorrect: they are two completely different products, at the antipodes, especially in terms of processing. Asti Spumante is a sweet sparkling wine produced with the Martinotti or Charmat method, so the must is vinified in large tanks with the addition of yeasts and then the second fermentation is added. The result is a very rigid sweet wine in its aromatic structure, set, certainly very fragrant, but not very natural as expressiveness. Moscato d’Asti can be produced with the Martinotti method but is often produced with natural fermentation in an autoclave and without the addition of selected yeasts.
The cost between the two wines is another big difference and is still justified. Asti Spumante also costs 3 euros at the discount store, but by spending only 6-7 euros you can buy decent sparkling wines. Moscato d’Asti is a simple wine, but of an artisanal nature, it is often produced from the harvest of small, extremely suitable vineyards, with low yields so as not to water down the flavors and for this reason, it has a much higher price. A good Moscato d’Asti costs at least 10-15 euros to get up to 45 euros for the Moscato d’Asti Vite Vecchia by Alessandro Boido, a wine produced from vines over 60 years of age and which rests for at least 3 years in the bottle before to be put on the market.
Alcohol content of Moscato d’Asti and Asti Spumante
The alcohol content is slightly different: Moscato is alcoholic like a beer, we have already said between 4.5 and 6.5, while Asti spumante has an alcohol content between 7 and 9.5.
Another substantial difference is that Asti is always sparkling, it is a sparkling wine, while Moscato d’Asti is not necessarily. The latter is then produced with only partial fermentation of the must and therefore that is why it is sweeter and less alcoholic. Less sugar turns into alcohol.
Production areas of Moscato d’Asti
This delicious sweet wine is produced throughout the province of Asti, but also in some municipalities of Cuneo and Alessandria. Its elective area, where it finds excellent conditions are Castiglione Tinella, Mango and Santo Stefano Belbo.
Recommended pairings for Moscato d’Asti
Be careful not to crush its delicacy with sweets that are too sugary, fatty or creamy. The classic combination is with apple pie, panettone, pandoro, panna cotta, but do not overdo it: remember that we are talking about a sweet wine, not always sparkling, with a maximum alcohol content of 6 degrees. Of course, the acidity is good, it also helps to cut the Tiramisu cream.
But the sweetness of Moscato d’Asti is also perfect for pairing with salty foods, aged or blue cheeses such as Gorgonzola or Stilton. Also try rabbit terrine, Tuscan liver croutons or meat jellies.
The best Moscato d’Asti
Making a ranking does not make much sense, the products on average are good, with peaks of excellence for those who work in an artisanal way, have identified very suitable small crus and have the fortune (foresight) to vinify grapes from old vines. And since we are talking about artisanal wines, let’s start with the most charismatic, but also expensive wine: Moscato d’Asti “Vite Vecchia” Ca ‘d’Gal. A nectar from 60-year-old vines, which then rests for 3 years in the bottle, a crazy period of time for a Moscato, but not for this great wine, which manages to mature finding an incredible aromatic development, a thousand faces and suggestions, balance and a certain creaminess. 45 euros is a lot, but if you want to pour heaven into a cup, try this nectar. We are talking about a precious wine, but don’t worry, the Moscato d’Asti Sant’Ilario is always from the same cellar, a bit stiffer, but the price is very different 18 euros and they are happy to spend it.
Sold between 9 and 18 euros
All the wines that follow are of a good standard, well made and expressive, but above all sold in a very honest price range, starting from 9-10 and reaching a maximum of 16-18. Very good and clean, almost clear for a sweet wine the Moscato d’Asti I Vignaioli di Santo Stefano; rocky and velvety the Moscato d’Asti by Paolo Saracco; always a certainty the Moscato d’Asti Massolino very citrusy and measured in the aromatic charge. To try the Su Reimond by Valter Bera, very fruity and greedy; Chiarlo’s Moscato d’Asti Nivole is excellent for the quality-price ratio; very fragrant, super fruity and with an almost tropical charm the Moscato d’Asti Sourgal from the Elio Perrone winery, the Moscato from the Luigi Einaudi winery always precise and affable and then we close with a tasty, delicate wine, with the right balance between acidity and sweetness: Moscato d’Asti Canelli Mongioia.