Muscat Blanc

Muscat Blanc (or to give it it’s full name, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains) is by far the most well-known member of the Muscat grape family – and also a contender for oldest grape vine in the world. Its 60+ synonyms are testament to its steeped history, as is the long list of countries in which it’s grown. Such countries include France, Italy, Germany, Hungary and Greece (its believed origin), as well as new world regions such as Australia, South Africa and even California.

The name Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is a reference to its characteristically small grapes and seeds. These grapes are known for having highly perfumed aromatics and high sugar levels, and tend to grow in compact, elongated bunches on the vine. While the skins of these grapes typically have a white or yellowish colour, some versions around the world can have a pink, reddish or even a pale brown hue. The colour can even vary from vintage to vintage.

Muscat Blanc Tasting Notes

Pear

Lemon

Peach

Honey

Blossom

The signature characteristic of a Muscat wine is its ‘grapeyness’, which sounds odd, but it is actually one of very few varieties that have these grapey nuances and flavours! The dry examples of Muscat Blanc will also have a range of floral, citrus and spice aromas. Expect notes of lemon, pear or sometimes peach and orange blossom. The sweeter sparkling wines lean more towards flavours of melon, nectarine, honeysuckle and grapey fragrances.

Being sweet, floral and fruity, Muscat Blanc is a shoo-in for fortified dessert wines, which tend to have the usual notes of orange blossom and grape within the sweet liquid. Aged examples also start to incorporate rich flavours of raisin, dried fruit and toffee.

Muscat Blanc Wine Style

Sweeter Style Whites

Bone Dry Sweet

Muscat Blanc is incredibly versatile, producing a wide range of wine styles – largely dependent on where it’s grown. Producers are becoming more and more competent at working with the grape’s high sugar levels, and bone-dry examples of Muscat Blanc are now pretty easy to find. A handy way to pick out a dry Muscat in France is to look for the word ‘Sec’ on the bottle!

These dry wines tend have a lovely lemon colour, and are very light and crisp on the palate. Off-dry examples tend to be relatively low alcohol, light in body (though it can vary) and have good acidity. It’s common to see Muscat Blanc blended with other grape varieties to make both dry and off-dry styles too. Sparkling and semi-sparkling examples range from Brut styles through to those which are sweet and low in alcohol (as low as 5%) – but what they all have in common is intensity of flavour. Fortified examples tend to be deep amber in colour, dense and very sweet.

Wine Regions

In France, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is one of the most widely-planted grapes. It’s predominately grown in the south in areas such as Roussillon, as the grapes need a lot of warmth to ripen fully. It was (and still is to an extent) grown in Alsace, however more recently has been replaced by, or blended with Muscat Ottonel, another member of the Muscat family. Some of the other names for Muscat Blanc throughout France include Muscat di Frontignan and Muscat d’Alsace. Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise are sweet, fortified dessert wines from the famous village Beaumes-de-Venise, which (due to being un-aged) boast more tropical flavours compared with Australian fortified Muscats.

In Italy, Moscato Bianco (as it’s commonly known) is most famous for making sparkling Asti, or semi sparkling Moscato d’Asti, a sweet and fruity sparkling beverage with a low alcohol content. This is primarily produced in the Piemonte region, however winemakers here have also been experimenting with barrel aged Passito wines (dessert wines made by drying the grapes before fermentation to concentrate the sugars).

Australia is one of the regions where Muscat Blanc grapes can actually have a brownish hue, so you’ll often hear it referred to as Brown Muscat down under! It’s also known as Frontignac (named after the region in southern France), but it’s most famous incarnation is Rutherglen Muscat – named after the wine region in the north-east of Victoria, known for producing some of the best sweet, fortified Muscats. These tend to be a wonderfully deep amber colour and undergo barrel ageing, resulting in a dense, sticky liquid with even more depth of flavour.

What Food Goes with Muscat Blanc?

The best pairing for a dry Muscat Blanc is seafood, so consider trying it with shrimp or other shellfish. Off-dry examples lend themselves towards spicier Asian cuisine, as their slight sweetness and lower alcohol levels help soothe the palate with each spicy bite. Sweet and sparkling Muscat needs to be paired with desserts like a classic lemon drizzle or lemon cheesecake, whereas fortified Muscat belongs with something richer like a millionaire shortbread.

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