Roscato Moscato

Roscato Moscato is a sweet fruit dessert wine from Massachusetts, made in the Moscato style. Wines like this usually lean on aromatic, grapey fruit: expect ripe peach, apricot, orange blossom and a hint of honeysuckle on the nose, with a palate that is soft, light-bodied and clearly sweet. Moscato-style wines carry almost no tannin and rarely see oak, so the texture stays smooth and juicy rather than structured. The sweetness is typically balanced by a lift of acidity, and the finish tends to be short, fresh and perfumed rather than lingering. Because the sugar is front and centre, this bottle works best with food that has its own heat, salt or richness. Spicy dishes such as Thai curries, Sichuan noodles or jerk chicken are a classic match, since the sweetness cools the spice. It also suits salty cheeses like blue cheese or aged Manchego, prosciutto with melon, and fruit-forward desserts such as peach cobbler, lemon tart or fresh berries with whipped cream. With very sweet cakes it can taste flat, so pair it with something that has some acidity or fruit. Serve it well chilled, around 40 to 45°F (4 to 7°C), which keeps the sweetness fresh and the aromatics bright. Two hours in the refrigerator or about 30 minutes in an ice bucket will get it there. It does not need decanting. A small white wine glass or a tulip-shaped dessert wine glass concentrates the floral aromas, and a modest pour of 3 to 4 ounces is typical for a sweet wine like this. Wines in this style are made for early drinking, when the fruit and perfume are at their most vivid. Drink it within a year or two of purchase and finish the bottle within a few days of opening, keeping it corked and cold in the meantime.