Barefoot Fruitscato Peach

Barefoot Fruitscato Peach is a peach-flavored fruit dessert wine from Massachusetts, in a style closely related to Moscato. Styles like this usually pour a pale straw to light gold, with ripe peach, apricot and a touch of orange blossom on the nose. Expect a light body, low to negligible tannin, and noticeable sweetness. Fruit dessert wines of this type typically have a gentle spritz or soft fizz, and moderate acidity that keeps the sweetness from turning heavy. Oak is not part of this style, so the focus stays on fresh fruit. The finish is usually short and juicy, closing on peach skin and a light honeyed note. Serve it well chilled, around 40 to 45°F, which is about two to three hours in the refrigerator or 30 minutes in an ice bucket. Cold temperatures keep the sweetness in check and the fruit bright, while a warm glass tends to taste flat and syrupy. Decanting is not needed, and a fruit-forward wine like this gains nothing from air. A standard white wine glass or a small flute works best. The narrower opening concentrates the peach aroma, and the stem keeps your hand from warming the wine. For food, the sweetness suits spicy dishes. Thai green curry, Szechuan chicken, and jerk-seasoned pork or chicken are all good matches, since the sugar softens chili heat. It also pairs well with salty and creamy foods, such as prosciutto with melon, brie or fresh goat cheese, and salted nuts. For dessert, try it with peach cobbler, vanilla panna cotta, shortcake with fresh berries, or a plain pound cake. Keep it away from heavily sweet desserts, which can make the wine taste thin by comparison. This is a drink-now bottle, not one to cellar. Fruit-forward wines like this are made for freshness, and the peach character fades with age. Drink it within a year or so of purchase, store it upright in a cool, dark spot, and refrigerate it before serving. Once opened, recork or reseal it and finish it within two to three days for the best flavor and fizz.