Jan 6, 2020
To kick off 2020, we have the original wine grape, the one from which so many were derived: MUSCAT! In the show we discuss the three main types of Muscat and the wines and regions that you need to seek out to get a taste of this ancient, delicious, complex grape.
As M.C. Ice requests in the middle of the show...here are the notes!
What is Muscat? Overview
- A grape from which derives a complicated family of grapes that includes over 200 varieties of all colors
- It was most likely a Greek grape, brought to the south of France and Sicily by the Phoenicians
- It's known for its floral perfume and grapey flavor. The grape is spicy with orange notes, and has relatively low acidity
- Styles range from dry to late harvest to fortified to sparkling
- Berries are gold, pink, or black and the variation within vines, mean flavors can vary
The main types of Muscat:
1. Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is the oldest grape
- Needs a long growing season, disease prone, doesn’t like humidity
- The most refined, classic Muscat, it is small berried, with a delicate but layered aroma
- Also known as: Moscato Bianco, came to Italy in the 1300s
- Common grapes derived from Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains: Moscato Giallo, Aleatico (red), Mammolo (red)
2. Muscat of Alexandria
- Natural cross of Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains and Axina de Tres Bias, old black table grape grown on Sardegna, Malta, Greek Islands
- Not from Alexandria in Egypt!
- Mid budding, late ripening, likes heat, big bunches, big berries, great for heat. Susceptible to powdery mildew, bunch rot, bugs, good with drought
- Less refined than Muscat à Petits Grains: sweet but not complex, less subtle – more geranium notes. Makes sticky sweet wines, rose- or orange-like or like geranium and lily of the valley
- Also known as Zibbibo in Sicily.
- Related grapes: Catarratto Bianco (Etna), Grillo (Sicily), Bombino Bianco (Sicily, Southern Italy), Schiava Grossa, Malvasia del Lazio, Cereza (Argentina), Torrontés (both clones)
3. Muscat Ottonel:
- Bred in Loire in 1852, earliest ripener, planted in Alsace often paler, with less aroma than the other varieties -- which can produce a softer wine
4. Muscat of Hamburg
- Black, table grape, low quality in Eastern Europe
Muscat in the Vineyard:
- Hard to grow: Crops erratically, low acidity, can be a tough blender
- Pink, black, red mutations exist around the world
- Early budding, mid ripening, susceptible to powdery mildew, botrytis, mites, small berries
- Climate: Prefers warm Mediterranean climates – south of France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Australia
- Soils: Different types will yield different flavors. Limestone or calcareous rock, along with sand make lighter, fresher versions. Clays, granites, can yield richer versions.
- If the grape is overcropped it loses acidity and aroma and is a boring mess.
Muscat by Place:
France
- 18,829 acres in France/7620 ha
- Almost all Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains
- Rhône: Muscat de Beaumes de Venise (fortified)
- Roussillon & Languedoc: Vins doux Naturels
of Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains in Frontignan, Lunel, Mireval, St.
Jean de Minervois
- Rivesaltes: Vin doux Naturel of Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains blended with Muscat d'Alexandria in Rivesaltes
- Clairette de Die Sparkling of Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains
- Corsica: fortified wines
- Alsace: Muscat Ottonel and Muscat à Petits Grains. Wines are floral, fresh, grapey, and herbal with spice. Dry.
Italy 
- 32,816 acres/13280 ha – Mostly Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains
- Piemonte: sweet, Asti Spumante (sparkling), Moscato d’Asti (semi sparkling, sweet, good dessert or cheese wine)
- Trentino Alto Adige: Use Rosenmuskateller: variation of the Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains -- rose aroma, still wine, Moscato Giallo/Goldmuskateller: orange scented dry or sweet wines
- Valle d’Aosta: Passito style (grapes dried on mats in the sun, raisined and then pressed)
- Montalcino: DOC for dry, sparkling, sweet, late-harvest wines of Muscat
- Sicily: Zibbibo/Muscat of Alexandria for dry wines, Moscato di Pantelleria – passito style from a small historic island.
Spain
- Grown all over Spain as Moscatel –Moscatel d’Alejandria
- Málaga: sweet speciality of the
south
- Jerez/Sherry: Moscatel used for color and sweetness, can be made alone as a sweet, passito style wine
Portugal
- Small amount used in white Port and other fortified wines
- Setúbal makes a fortified wine from it, tasty dry wines
Other Old World places: Germany, Austria, Greece
Australia
- Rutherglen and Glenrowan in northeastern Victoria
- Rutherglen Muscat: Four tier quality system -- basic, classic, grand, rare. Like figs, coffee, blackberry, chocolate, delicious, with acidity
South Africa
- Vin de Constance from Muscat Blanc
à Petits Grains: Late harvest
- Probably the descendents of the famed vines of colonial days in the 1600s
- Worcester, Olifants River: Muscat of Alexandria/ Hanepoot for bulk, used for dry, sweet, fortified, table grapes
US: Central Valley for bulk white. Some Orange Muscat which is a relative of Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains
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