Muscat wine or just nutmeg - a dessert wine made from nutmeg grapes, has an exquisite aroma and unusual taste. A feature of the process of making nutmegs is the collection of slightly dried berries, as well as the application of artificial wilting technology.
What is wine
Muscat wine is rightfully considered one of the most ancient drinks, as the Greeks and Romans once enjoyed its refined taste and aroma. Due to the rather high sugar content and strength, these wines were stored for a very long time without losing their qualities. The drink retained its pleasant and persistent aroma, as well as the taste of berries.
Over time, nutmegs spread throughout the world and gained great popularity. Nutmeg wine requires special attention. It is intended for evening conversations. Many people think that nutmeg is added to make wine, but this is not at all the case. A special tart aroma and unusual flavor is obtained due to the applied grape variety.
The main grape varieties
There are many varieties of nutmeg grapes that grow in a particular cultivation region. This determines the specifics of the variety. However, it is customary to distinguish such varieties of muscat grapes as:
- Fine white.
- Muscat Ottonel.
- Muscat of Alexandria.
White fine-grained nutmeg is one of the oldest varieties grown in Europe. It gave rise to many other varieties of nutmeg grapes and is known for its ability to change the color of berries every year.
Muscat Ottonel is characterized by early ripening and adaptability to a cool climate. However, it is not as productive as other varieties, and the aroma is not so distinctly felt. Alexandria muscat is a thermophilic variety. It has a rich sweet taste, so it is widely used in winemaking.
Production feature
Muscat wine is tender, it has a distinctive bright and memorable aroma with hints of rose oil, cloves, acacia. It is made from specially bred grape varieties. With long exposure, the unique taste and aroma opens even more, becomes saturated and harmonious.
In the production of this wine you need to extract the unique aroma as much as possible. At the same time, the transition of the wort to the finished product of wine extracts should be limited, as this will ensure tenderness and lightness of taste. A feature of muscat wines is the ability to accumulate many aromatic substances.
These components, giving a special bouquet to the drink, are part of the contained essential oils. Muscat producers are very critical of the varieties going for processing. The technology provides for the use of only high-quality berries with a characteristic aroma.
The initially prepared wort goes through a fermentation process so that the wine can be enriched with phenolic compounds. Then comes the mount and shutter speed. In this case, the drink is contained in tightly closed barrels. Sometimes exposure is carried out in metal tanks. In some cases, it lasts even several decades.
Taste and color
Nutmeg wine can have completely different shades depending on the type of grape used. That is why the color of the drink can be:
- light golden;
- pink;
- saturated amber;
- dark red.
The taste of this wine is sweet, somewhat velvety and even slightly oily. Aged nutmeg has a slightly tarry taste. Muscat dark in color may have a touch of prune or chocolate. You can catch notes of roses, almonds and cloves in its aroma.
What is wine like
Pink and white nutmeg wine is quite widespread in the world, so each country involved in winemaking has its own drink. There are such nutmegs as:
- lungs;
- liquor;
- dessert;
- fortified;
- sparkling.
Basically, this wine is sweetish in taste, however, several dry varieties are produced. To enjoy the fullness and sophistication of taste, this wine must be served correctly, as it is combined only with certain products.
The best nutmeg for different countries
Each country has its own semi-sweet muscatel wine, which was truly appreciated by true lovers of this amazing drink. France is famous for preparing fortified aromatic wine Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, made from fine-grained white muscat. The most famous is Muscat de Frontignan, which is prepared without alcoholic additives.
In the south of France, predominantly dry non-fortified nutmegs are made. They have an expressive taste in which the fruity and fruit bouquet inherent in dry wines is clearly felt. For their manufacture, Ottonel nutmeg is used, despite the fact that it does not convey the fullness of taste as fine-grained.
In Italy, mainly fine-grained grapes are used for wine production. The most popular are light
sparkling wine "Asti" and white semi-sweet muscat wine "Moscato d´Asti". In addition, in Italy, rich amber-colored wines Moscato and Passito di Pantelleria are created from Alexandrian muscat.
Another variety of nutmeg grapes is "Moscato Jallo", which is also called yellow nutmeg. It produces light golden wines with a pleasant and persistent aroma.
In Spain, a very fragrant Moscatel is made, which is very popular. One of the best in the world is the Crimean Muscat, who have repeatedly received high awards at international competitions. The best is considered to be the “Muscat White of the Red Stone”, of which the poets spoke of the amazing taste.
What to serve
Muscat is recommended to be served chilled to a temperature of 10-12 degrees. It is especially good as an aperitif, but it can also be served with various dishes. It combines very well with desserts, puddings, mushroom dishes, spicy cheeses, game, vegetables. Cauliflower, artichokes and asparagus work well. On the basis of nutmeg wines, you can cook punch and punch in parties.
It is worth noting that tobacco smoke can negatively affect its taste. You can not consume it with citrus fruits, since wine will not be able to reveal the fullness of taste. Fatty fish are not suitable, as they give the nutmeg a metallic taste. You also do not need to serve this wine with chocolate and chocolate products.
Customer reviews
Reviews of nutmeg wines are rather mixed, however, they are mostly positive. Many note the excellent taste and aroma of the "Muscat White Red Stone" wine . The taste is quite sweet and rich, and the finish is long and pleasant.
The Black Muscat produced by the Massandra plant was also highly praised. It has a rich cherry hue, beautifully shimmering in glasses. Its taste is sweet with hints of chocolate, cherry and plum. It can become a real holiday decoration or a good gift.
Quite a good wine "Muscat" from the company "Vingor" produced in Russia. It has a good taste, balanced sugar content, as well as affordable cost.