Moscato d' Asti, Italian for romance

One whiff, one sip, and you'll understand why the muscat grape has been around since Roman times. It's rich with orange and peach flavors, honeysuckle, and nuances of shortbread cookies. Popular as dessert wine all over Europe, the Italians make a slightly carbonated version, called Moscato d' Asti.

Moscato d' Asti is considered by many to be the ultimate romance wine. It has a wide appeal because of its confection like flavor and because of its frizzante style that offers a softer carbonation. The most romantic thing about Moscato d' Asti is that it is lower in alcohol, so you can toast to all your inspirations.

Moscato d' Asti literally translates "muscat from the village of Asti." Asti is known for reds dolcetto, barbera, and nebbiolo. While the red wines offer structure for the dinner table, the splash of effervescence and residual sugar of Moscato d' Asti are meant for the rest of the evening.

In order to create the soft carbonation of frizzante, the fermentation process is stopped before the yeast eats all of the sugar. Less sugar consumed means lower alcohol and less trapped carbonation. A halt in fermentation also leaves behind a dose of residual sugar. This delightful dessert wine can also double as an aperitif because of its fresh acidity.

Regardless of when you drink this light hearted wine, you'll find the flavors of orange and limes zest, and apricot cookies irresistible. It is not sealed with a Champagne closure, so make sure you have a corkscrew on hand. In suave Italian style, serve it in your fine champagne flutes with a couple of canollis. It's a fine way to end a meal or start the evening.

Check out these Italian producers of Moscato d' Asti; La Spinetta, Michelle Chiarlo, Rivetti, Saracco, and Palladino.