Sparkling — Asti & Moscato d'Asti
Piedmont's low-alcohol aromatic sweet sparkler from Moscato — grapey, floral, and gently fizzy; the gentlest, most fragrant fizz in the canon.
About Asti & Moscato d'Asti
Asti and its softer, lower-pressure cousin Moscato d'Asti are the aromatic sweet sparkling wines of Piedmont, made from Moscato Bianco (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains). Uniquely, they are made from a single, partial fermentation: chilled grape must is fermented under pressure and stopped early by cooling and filtering out the yeast, which simultaneously captures the CO2, leaves natural grape sugar unfermented, and keeps alcohol very low (typically 5–5.5% for Moscato d'Asti). The result is intensely grapey, floral (orange blossom, honeysuckle), peachy, and delicately sweet — the opposite of a toasty traditional-method wine. Moscato d'Asti in particular is a serious artisan category despite its featherweight image, prized as a brunch wine, a fruit-dessert partner, and a low-alcohol pleasure. Editorially it is the benchmark for aromatic sweet fizz and a showcase for what the Muscat family does best.
Production process
Principal producers
- Vietti
- Saracco
- La Spinetta
Editorial notes
Drink young and cold; the appeal is fresh grapey aromatics, not age. Moscato d'Asti (frizzante, ~5% ABV) is the connoisseur's choice over fully sparkling Asti.