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The Muscat family includes more than 200 varieties and mutations of grapes. The color of the berries varies from white (Muscat Ottonel) to yellow (Moscato Giallo) and pink (Moscato rosa del Trentino), there are even almost black varieties (Muscat of Hamburg). Muscat wine usually has a strength of 12-16% by volume, has a rich sweet taste and a fragrant floral aroma, which is given by the essential oils of berries. Perhaps Muscat was the first “domesticated” grape, some oenologists believe that most modern vines are descendants of ancient Muscat.
History
According to one version, the first Muscat vines were cultivated 3-5 thousand years ago in ancient Egypt and Persia. Another theory says that the ancient Romans and Greeks made wine from Muscat grapes in the 1230th century. BC. However, there is no documentary evidence. Officially, the first mention of Muscat is found in the works of the Franciscan monk Bartholomew of England in 1240-XNUMX.
The origin of the name is also not completely clear: the roots of the word muscat can be found in Persian, Greek, French, Italian. Perhaps the term is related to the word “musk”, or maybe it comes from the Italian mosca (fly), as the powerful aroma of berries attracts swarms of insects. One theory claims that the grapes are generally named after their place of origin – the Ottoman city of Muscat or the Greek city of Moschato.
Related varieties
Despite the fact that there are more than 200 Muscats, not all of them are in close genetic relationship. However, some connections can be traced. Muscat of Alexandria is a direct descendant of white muscat (crossed with the autochthonous Greek variety Axina de Tres Bias). In turn, having crossed with each other, Alexandrian and white nutmeg gave at least 14 more variations of the variety.
Black Muscat (aka “Hamburg”) is the result of crossing Muscat of Alexandria and the German variety Trollinger. Muscat Ottonel came from Muscat d’Eisenstadt and the Swiss Chasselas.
Characteristics of a variety
Despite the enormous variability, all Muscats share a common characteristic – a deep fruity aroma with a clear grape profile. In terms of fragrantness, the variety can be compared with Riesling and Gewürztraminer.
The bouquet of Muscat is best revealed in light young wines that have not been subjected to aging in oak barrels, malolactic fermentation or fortification, since all these processes strongly affect the flavor profile.
All Muscats are aromatic, but not all aromatic wines are Muscats. It is not uncommon to find wines on the market with the word “Muscat” in the title that actually have nothing to do with this variety, such as Morio Muskat (made from Sylvaner and Pinot Blanc grapes). Also not to be confused with Muscat varieties Muscadelle, Muscardin and wine from the Loire Valley Muscadet.
The main representatives of the Muscat variety
- Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains. “White Muscat”, from which the Italian sparkling wine Asti, French fortified wines, wines of Australia and Greece are made. In the young fermented juice of white muscat, you can feel the tones of grapes, citrus, peach and rose. Aged samples show notes of coffee, fruit cake, raisins and creamy toffee.
- Muscat of Alexandria. It is also used for French fortified wines, in Spain it is used to produce the famous Moscatel (thick very sweet wine), in other countries – semi-dry samples.
- Muscat of Hamburg. Black Muscat, which makes pleasant table wines. In California, dessert wine is made from this variety, and in China, it is crossed with indigenous varieties to increase their frost resistance and better adapt to different climatic conditions.
- Muscat Ottonel. Popular in Central Europe (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Romania) and the former Soviet republics, as well as in Alsace. It produces very aromatic dry wines.
Muscat Massandra
Muscat Massandra is the pearl of Crimean winemaking, one of the best representatives of sweet muscats in the world, the pride of the royal court of the Russian Empire.
Winery “Massandra” founded by Prince L. Golitsyn in 1894, the first batch of drinks went to the cellars for aging in 1898. Massandra produces a wide range of wines, including several types of sweet Muscat (White Muscat, South Coast Muscat, Pink Muscat, Tauride Muscat, White Muscat, Pink and Black, etc.). In the aroma of the drink, you can feel the tones of honey, mountain flowers, roses, citrus peel, this wine has collected several dozen gold medals and won victories at international competitions.
In the cellars of the winery there is a collection of bottles, which are 60-80 years old. Sometimes “Massandra” puts up several copies for sale. With all the ambiguous attitude towards wines from the post-Soviet space, Muscat Massandra is known abroad.
Types of Muscat wines
The following types of wines are made from representatives of the Muscat family:
- sparkling and sparkling (Moscato d’Asti, Asti Spumante);
- quiet (Spanish Moscatel, Austrian Muskateller);
- pink (Brachetto d’Acqui);
- red (from black nutmeg, notes of violets, black tea, raspberries are felt in the aroma);
- dessert (Moscatel Sherry, Moscatel de Setúbal, Muscat of Samos).
How to drink muscat wines
The serving temperature for dry Muscat wines is 10-12 °C, for dessert wines – 16-18 °C.
Almost all members of the Muscat family are combined with Asian cuisine and any spicy dishes. They also make gastronomic pairs with poultry, fish, seafood, grilled pork, a variety of spices and seasonings, hard cheeses from cow’s and sheep’s milk, vegetables, pineapples, mangoes, nuts.
The most suitable snack can be selected, focusing on the type of wine:
- dry – boiled fish fillet with salsa verde sauce;
- sweet – cashew curry;
- fortified – chocolate, quiche, mascarpone.