The 10 Best Moscato Wines to Drink

Best Overall

G.D. Vajra Moscato d'Asti

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Region: Piedmont, Italy | ABV: 5.5% | Tasting Notes: Lychee, Pear, Floral

In its most popular form, moscato d’Asti hails from Italy’s Piedmont region. The wine is generally off-dry to sweet and ranges in effervescence levels from frizzante to spumante. G.D. Vajra is one of the region’s most respectable producers and is best known for their responsible farming practices, longstanding history, and well-crafted bottles. Notes of juicy pears, lychee, honeysuckle, and rose petals jump from the wine’s frothy and fruit-driven palate.

Best for Brunch

Risata Moscato d'Asti

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Region: Piedmont, Italy ABV: 5.5% | Tasting Notes: Stone fruit, Lemon rind, Honey

When picking a wine for a boozy brunch that promises not to kill the rest of your day, seeking out something with a low-ABV is key—enter moscato d’Asti.

This popular expression from Risata wines is lightly effervescent and marked by succulent notes of stone fruit, honey, and fresh-cut flowers. Sip chilled on its own or alongside sweet brunch dishes like crepes, fruit pancakes or gooey French toast. 

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Best Budget

Vietti Cascinetta Moscato d'Asti

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Region: Piedmont, Italy | ABV: 5% | Tasting Notes: Honey, Canned Peach, Ginger

This classic moscato d’Asti from Vietti is produced from organically-farmed fruit and is made at the hands of one of Piedmont’s biggest names. Expect thirst-quenching notes of honey, canned peaches, white flower petals, and ginger on the palate. Sip with light salads, fruit parfaits or Italian-inspired cheese boards.

“When I look for good moscato, I'm not looking for a particular style or sweetness level,” says Erin Scala, founder of In Vino Veritas in Keswick, Va. “To me, a good moscato will typically come from someone approaching the grape with care and reverence, someone who appreciates this special grape's contributions to the history of wine. Through that lens, the wine can be exhilarating and decadent.”

Best Sparkling

Sant'Orsola Moscao d'Asti

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Region: Piedmont, Italy | ABV: 5.5% | Tasting Notes: White Blossoms, Honey Suckle

Why choose between frizzante and spumante when you can have both? In Italian sparkling wine production, frizzante bottles boast a frothy, fizzier mouthfeel, whereas spumante wines present a more powerful mousse on the palate. With Sant’Orsola, you get the best of both worlds. Their standard moscato is loaded with flavors of citrus rind and stone fruit, whereas the spumante shows more floral-driven flavors of white blossoms, honeysuckle and flower petals. Do yourself a favor and grab one of each and do a side by side comparison—you won’t regret it.  

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Best for Dessert

La Spinetta Bricco Quaglia Moscato d'Asti

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Region: Piedmont, Italy | ABV: 5% | Tasting Notes: Honey, Peach, Green Apples

This creamy, softly sweet moscato from La Spinetta is perfect for sipping alongside a variety of desserts. Juicy notes of honey, peach skin, and green apple come alive when served with a variety of tartlets, fruit pies or parfaits. Looking for the sweetest way to end a long meal? This bottle’s just the ticket.

“When I get the feeling that people are unappreciative of moscato (which is quite often), I try to tell them about the (historical expressions) that helped save a post-phylloxera Crete, as well as the (wines) that were once a jewel of the Mediterranean,” says Scala. Simply put, drinking this grape is like drinking history. 

Best Pink Moscato

Innocent Bystander Pink Moscato

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Region: Yarra Valley, Australia | ABV: 5.5% Tasting Notes: Sherbet, Rhubarb, Citrus

Searching for a unique bottle from the Land Down Under? This one-of-a-kind bottle has your back. Hailing from Australia’s southerly Victoria region, this pale pink moscato oozes with flavors of fruit sherbet, rhubarb, citrus rind and candied apples. Sip with baked brie, walnut and goat cheese salads, or fresh fruit bowls sprinkled with sugar. 

Best Organic

Elio Perrone Sourgal Moscato d'Asti

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Region: Piedmont, Italy | ABV: 5% | Tasting Notes: Fresh apricots, Pear skin, Mirabelle

Perrone’s frothy, fruit-forward moscato shows flavors of juicy apricots, pear skin and mirabelle. The fact that it is produced from organic fruit makes it all the better! Sip chilled before dinner, during weekend brunches, or at the end of a long day for a delicious touch of sweetness. We particularly love it with stir fry or slightly spicy Asian takeout favorites. You really can’t go wrong here. 

Best Muscat-Based

Cazes Muscat de Rivesaltes

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Region: Roussillon, France | ABV: 15% Tasting Notes: Honey, Canned Fruit, Apricot

Muscat is widely cultivated across southern France. In the Languedoc region, the grape is used to create sweet vin doux naturel wines, otherwise known as VDNs. Vin doux naturels are produced very similarly to port. The wines begin vinification like any other dry wine would, however, a neutral grape spirit is then added to the must prior to its completion. This leaves excess residual sugar in the wine, though unlike moscato, the ABV is significantly higher (minimum 15% ABV), as the spirit adds an extra oomph of alcohol to the wine. 

This sweet VDN from Domaine Cazes is loaded with flavors of honey, canned fruits, juicy apricot skin, peaches and orange blossom. Can’t decide on dessert? Simply serve a pour of this tasty nectar. 

Best Dry Muscat

Trimbach Muscat Reserve

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Region: Alsace, France | ABV: 12.5% | Tasting Notes: Grapefruit, Tangerine, White Flowers, Saline

In France’s Alsace region, muscat is usually vinified on its own to create dry and highly aromatic wines. This dry expression comes from one of the region’s longest-standing and most legendary producers. Flavors of grapefruit, tangerine, white flowers, apple skin, and salt burst from the wine’s lively and long-lasting palate. Sip with pad-thai, wash-rind cheeses or paté. If you love Alsatian rieslings and gewurztraminer, we can’t recommend this bottle enough. 

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