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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/121046
hat���s behind the rise of moscato? It hasn���t hurt that the wine has been embraced by the hip-hop community, with endorsements from the likes of Kayne West, Drake and Lil��� Kim, or that it boasts the popular #Moscato hashtag on Twitter. But while the varietal has caught the attention of the younger set, it���s not just Millennials fueling moscato���s growth���up 200% since 2009, according to Nielsen. ���Moscato is an exciting grape varietal that is gaining popularity,��� says John Coletta, executive chef/managing partner of Quartino Ristorante in Chicago. ���Moscato are becoming familiar as consumer explore, experience and embrace the wine and food culture of Italy.��� The moscato grape (also known as muscat) is used in a variety of wines, but the most popular incarnation of the varietal is the sparkling Moscato d���Asti. ���It is best known in the sparkling format and best enjoyed with desserts,��� says Coletta. ���The grape varietal moscato is experiencing significant consumption as an apperitivo or an accompaniment to seafood.��� Beyond the Italian moscato, muscat wines overall are popular across the country. Many bar managers that have added key moscato selections on their wine lists are being rewarded. ���It is one of the few grapes that is produced in many various styles, much like pinot gris has quite a few variations around the world,��� says Gretchen Thomas, wine and spirits director at the Barteca Restaurant Group in Norwalk, CT. APPROPRIATELY ACCESSIBLE The keys to moscato���s success, bar managers say, is price, accessibility and reliability. Experimenting with various wines has become the norm in many locales, and it helps when the wines are approachable to the consumer. ���Moscato wines have never been considered ���collectors��� wine��� that eventually became general consumer wine,��� says Thomas. ���It has always been accessible to everyone, and I think this makes it less scary to the developing palate of the beginner.��� Customers are not only recognizing the varietal, they are seeking it out. ���Moscato has definitely grown in popularity in the last three years,��� says Amy Goldberger, sommelier at Fifth Floor Restaurant in San Francisco���s Hotel Palomar. ���People do come in and ask for it.��� Price matters when experimenting with wine, and this varietal fits the bill. ���This new wave of moscatos are all priced very affordably���very few of them are more than $20 a bottle in a retail store,��� notes Thomas. ���They are accessible because of how they are marketed���easy to like, unpretentious, every day wine.��� www.cheersonline.com AN AROMATIC AND SWEET FLAVOR PROFILE The American palette for wine generally tends toward the light and sweet. And most moscatos fulfill that taste profile. ���Moscato wines are always aromatic, fruity and semisweet to quite sweet,��� says Thomas. ���It would take a lot effort to find a moscato that tastes ���bad.��� The grape is extremely aromatic by nature, gladly ripens to high sugar levels, and is basically a wellbehaved grape for agriculturists and wine makers to work with.��� Coletta agrees. ���Moscato tends to be a complex wine which pairs extremely well with food.��� Quartino features the Piazzo Moscato D���Asti Piazzo for $9 a glass and $36 a bottle. ���But sipping a glass of moscato without food is not the beverage of choice,��� at least at Quartino, he says. Moscato wines have found their way to chain restaurants, including P.F. Chang���s. Moscatos are ���fun and something new��� for consumers, says Mary Melton, beverage director of the Asian-theme, 204-location chain. The lightly carbonated moscato is the perfect aperitif, says Melton of the Besitos moscato she serves for $7 a glass. But the wine also compliments the P.F. Chang���s Asian cuisine. ���It pairs well with lighter, fresh dishes, such as shrimp with garlic The Fifth Floor Restaurant in San Francisco currently carries ���ve moscatos on its wine list. APRIL 2013 | 25