September 7th, 2012 by Jeff

Featured Wines:

• Barefoot Moscato (~$10)
• Torlasco Moscato D’Asti (~$16)

Synopsis & Food Pairing:

No doubt about it:  Moscato is easy to drink.  They don’t buzz ya much, but they are light, crisp, sweet and most of all refreshing!   And if  it’s D’sparkling, it’s definitely gonna make you smile.  Imagine a bit of pineapple and pear juice mixed with club soda.  But be aware that there are both dry and sweet types of Moscato.   Depending on where it’s from, it also may go by the name “Muscat” (dropping the “o”).   Make sure to specify to your local wine geek if you prefer dry or sweet.

If you choose a dry Moscato, then you’ll want to go for something like grilled trout with lemon-parsley butter.   You can also do seafood, but just be careful the richness of something like lobster and butter doesn’t overtake the wine.  The sweet versions are generally best with dessert, especially the sparklers.  Sorbet and fruit would be good, but cheesy and rich would be better.   So the next chance you get, skip your cutie petutti over to a Lunds or Kowalski’s (or whatever local grocer that has a kick ass bakery) and get yourself some cheesecake or apple crumb.  Then pop a bottle of the Torlasco, grab a fork, stick in the original Ocean’s 11, and you’ll have a recipe for one dynamite Friday evening!

As we said in the show, the ladies love Moscato, but don’t let the guys fool you.  On a hot summer day, serve it as an aperitif and they’ll happily lap up a glass or two before dinner.   But if you happen to be one of the whiskey-tainted minority that don’t like sweet drinks, then grab a bottle of Fleischmann’s and leave this stuff for the people that do.