Inspector Grape can reveal that Muscat is the only grape in the world that can produce a wine that actually smells and tastes of grapes. Muscat is widely grown in Portugal and Spain, where the grape and the wines produced from it are known as Moscatel or Muscatel.(for more info see Wikipedia) It is also one of the oldest grape varieties in the world and is responsible for producing amazingly perfumed wines that has captured our imagination for centuries.
So when people search for muscat wine, moscato wine or muscatel wine; this is the grape that they are looking for!
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, 2007, France
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, 2007, France Waitrose, £5.55
This is a famous sweet wine made entirely from the Muscat grape.
This wine was like a loaded gun that shot up my nostrils with a BANG! It was so perfumy it took me back to opening my grandmother’s drawers when I was a little boy.
It smelled of peaches and citrus and was so aromatic that my taste buds were doing a Rumba before it even touched my lips. It was light and elegant and I had to make a Panna cotta to go with it, just to finish-off my Sunday night in style. A thumbs up for this moscato wine.
Lustau Moscatel de Chipiona, Jerez, Spain, 2007, Waitrose, £4.49
Lustau Moscatel de Chipion, Jerez, Spain, 2007
One word – Delicious!
I thought it was a little “foxier” than the one before with a little bit of a wild taste to it.
It made the hair on my neck stand up and I thought it was absolutely lovely and for under £5, what a bargain for an excellent moscato wine!
Tabali Encantado Late Harvest Muscat, Chile
Tabali Encantado Late Harvest Muscat, Chile, Waitrose, £5.99
I was very exited when I saw this little gem while searching for something different.
Just from the colour alone I could see that there is a lot more sunshine in this wine and because it was late harvested it’s going to be a little sweeter. It lived up to its name because it gave us a honeyed lusciously sweet wine, so superior that the inspector almost fell-off his pedestal.
Gorgeous muscat wine – not too sweet – with a racy acidity that slapped me in the face with lemon sorbet.
Serve any one of the 3 with a light milky dessert like panna cotta, creme caramel or creme brulee – Yum yum!
Inspector Grape’s Panna cotta
70ml milk
2 vanilla pods or essence
zest of one lemon
375ml double cream
1 and a half leaves of gelatine (soak in a little cold water)
70g icing sugar
Simmer the milk, vanilla, zest and half of the cream for 10 min till reduced. Remove from the heat and stir in the soaked gelatine, allow to cool a little and placing in the fridge, stirring occasionally till it coats the back of the spoon. Whip the remaining cream and icing sugar and add to the original mix, place in moulds and cool in fridge. Serve with fresh berries or fruit sauce.
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