Muscat is not one grape but a sprawling family, planted from Alsace to Australia, and the styles it makes range wider than almost any other variety: bone dry, lusciously sweet, fortified or gently sparkling, sometimes all from the same corner of France.
One family, two workhorses
Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, small-berried and thin-skinned, is the family's quality end, capable of real finesse in cooler sites. Muscat of Alexandria, larger-berried and heat-tolerant, is the workhorse used mostly for sweet and fortified wine in warmer regions. Most serious dry and sparkling Muscat comes from the Petits Grains strain.
Dry, sweet and fortified
In Alsace, Muscat is vinified bone dry, all grape and orange blossom with barely a trace of sweetness, a style that surprises drinkers who only know sweet Muscat. In Piedmont, the same Petits Grains grape becomes Moscato d'Asti, low in alcohol and gently fizzy, or the fuller sparkling wine Asti Spumante. Further south, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise and Rutherglen's fortified Muscats push the grape into raisined, honeyed territory entirely.
FAQ
Is all Muscat sweet?
No. Alsace makes it bone dry, Asti makes it lightly sweet and fizzy, and the south of France and Australia push it into fully sweet, sometimes fortified territory. The grape's aromatic intensity survives all three.
What is the best Muscat grape?
Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, valued for finesse and floral aromatics. Muscat of Alexandria is more widely planted but generally makes broader, less refined wine.
How should Muscat be served?
Dry Alsace Muscat suits it as an aperitif or with Asian spice. Sweet and fortified versions are best poured with citrus tarts, blue cheese or on their own after dinner.