Moscato d'Asti is Piedmont's light, sweet and gently sparkling white wine, made from Moscato Bianco and scented with peach, elderflower, sage and ripe grapes. With alcohol between 4.5 and 6.5 percent and a soft, creamy fizz, it is as happy alongside a fruit dessert as it is on a sunny afternoon in the garden.
What is Moscato d'Asti?
Moscato d'Asti comes from the rolling vineyards of south-eastern Piedmont, spread across some fifty communes in the provinces of Asti, Cuneo and Alessandria. The area became a DOC in 1967 and a DOCG in 1993, and it shares that appellation with Asti Spumante. Both are made from Moscato Bianco, but the two wines are built in completely different ways. The grape is also called Moscato Bianco di Canelli and belongs to the ancient Muscat family, which you can explore further on our Muscat wine page.
Within the appellation sit the subzones of Santa Vittoria d'Alba and Strevi. Canelli, long the best known subzone, became a DOCG in its own right in 2023. The deepest tradition lies in villages such as Castagnole delle Lanze, Santo Stefano Belbo and Mango, where steep, limestone-rich slopes give aromatic grapes with fresh acidity.
How Moscato d'Asti is made: cold fermentation and a gentle fizz
What sets Moscato d'Asti apart is that fermentation is stopped long before all the sugar has been converted. The must is kept cold, close to freezing, until it is needed. Once the wine reaches roughly five percent alcohol, fermentation is halted by chilling and filtration. The result is a wine with natural residual sweetness, plenty of grape aroma and only the bubbles that fermentation itself created.
Pressure is capped at 2.5 atmospheres, so the wine is frizzante rather than fully sparkling. That is why it is usually closed with an ordinary cork, while Asti Spumante has more pressure, at least six percent alcohol and a Champagne-style cork. If you are after the foamier, slightly stronger style, you will find it under Asti and Asti Spumante.
Moscato d'Asti producers and wines to know
La Spinetta in Castagnole delle Lanze is a natural place to start, for example with its Biancospino. See the full range from the estate on our La Spinetta page. Fontanafredda makes two classics, Moncucco and Le Fronde, and Ca' d'Gal makes Lumine.
Many of the great Barolo houses also make a Moscato d'Asti, often as a bright, fresh counterpoint to their reds: Massolino, Vajra, Oddero, Prunotto, Ceretto with I Vignaioli di Santo Stefano, Poderi Marcarini and Michele Chiarlo with Nivole. From smaller family estates come Elio Perrone with Sourgal, Enrico Serafino with Erianthe, Tre Secoli and Fratelli Antonio & Raimondo. Sourgal also comes in magnum, which suits a dessert shared by a crowd.
Food pairing and serving Moscato d'Asti
Serve the wine well chilled, at around six to eight degrees, and drink it young while the fruit is at its freshest. The low alcohol and sweetness make it a natural match for fruit desserts: strawberries, peaches, apricot tart, lemon cake, panettone and almond biscuits. It also works surprisingly well at brunch, with fresh fruit and ricotta, or as an aperitif on a warm day.
If you want something richer for cheese and dark chocolate, browse the sweeter bottles in dessert wine, or explore the rest of Piedmont, from Barolo and Barbaresco to Barbera.
Moscato d'Asti FAQ
Is Moscato d'Asti sweet?
Yes. Because fermentation is stopped early, the wine keeps a clear natural sweetness, but its fresh acidity means it tastes light rather than heavy.
What is the difference between Moscato d'Asti and Asti Spumante?
Both are made from Moscato Bianco under the same DOCG. Moscato d'Asti is gently sparkling, with at most 2.5 atmospheres of pressure and around five percent alcohol, while Asti Spumante is fully sparkling and higher in alcohol.
How much alcohol is in Moscato d'Asti?
The rules require at least 4.5 and no more than 6.5 percent alcohol. Most wines sit at around five percent.
Can you age Moscato d'Asti?
It is best within one to two years of the harvest, when the scent of peach and blossom is at its most intense. With age it becomes more honeyed but loses some of its freshness.