From Priorat to Piemonte: Moscato d'Asti Charm & Energetic Fermentation!
-the wine adventure continues
When we left off last time, we were heading to Piemonte (Piedmont in English) after our Priorat winery adventures! I have written about Piemonte a lot. The main grapes are: Barbera, Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Cortese, and Moscato Bianco.
Moscato, as in Jacob’s Creek Moscato? Really?
Nope.
Very different style.
To me, Moscato d’Asti is very special – a sweet, very fragrant wine with a little fizz.
I really do not care for sweet wine. Exit…. stage left!
Suit yourself. It reminds me of coaxing people to try a medium-sweet Riesling a few months ago. I explained that when made properly, a sweet wine can be divine. I must have done this with 5 people over the course of an afternoon at the store.
And… Did they taste it?
Yes, usually after me giving the line of: “Have I ever failed you?” LOL.
The look on their faces after the first sip was priceless. They had clearly never experienced a properly made sweet wine. The key is quality grapes and sufficient acidity to balance the wine’s sugar.
Moscato d’Asti is made to be drunk young (not aged) and can be served as an aperitif, with appetizers, or with (or as) dessert. Or my favorite …. with breakfast!
I have had Asti Spumante before.
Asti Spumante is a different wine than Moscato d’Asti, so don’t let that confuse you! Moscato d’Asti is a frizzante style meaning it is only semi-sparkling and has higher residual sugar and lower alcohol, typically 5.5% abv.
They are however made with the same grape: Moscato Bianco/Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains, which produces wines with pronounced aromas and flavors of orange blossom, grape, and peach.
Grape? That is a first. I always joke that the wine tastes of grapes and you roll your eyes at me.
Yup – ironically, Moscato is pretty much the only grape that makes wine that tastes like grapes!
The featured producer for today’s wine is La Spinetta, a winery ran by the Rivetti family whose first production was in 1977 with 2 different Moscato d’Asti wines. They are known for being the first single vineyard Moscatos made in Italy. Single vineyard wines are made with grapes from only the vineyard named on the label – typically a sign of quality wine. La Spinetta still produces both: namely Bricco Quaglia (Quail Hilltop or Crag) and Biancopino (Hawthorn).
I had the pleasure of being hosted by La Spinetta and meeting two of their family members, Giorgio and Giovanna, at their Contratto winery. The family took over the Contratto winery in 2011. Contratto is a renowned and historic Piedmontese sparkling wine house founded in 1867.
Wow – that is over 150 years old!
I never tire of visiting historic cellars – theirs were completed in the early 20th century. In this period, Contratto became the official wine supplier for the Vatican, the Belgian royal house, and the royal Savoy family.
Impressive! Sorry to interrupt but what is your plan regarding sharing your next ah-ha moment from Gratavinum in Priorat? Are you making us wait until next week?
Ah, Gratavinum - our little team got into a rhythm very quickly at the winery. One of Eric and I’s responsibilities was conducting punch downs (pigeage) or pump overs (remontage) twice daily.
English please.
Okay, hold on. Let me set the stage first with …
Ah-ha #2: The CO2 produced during fermentation is more substantial and energetic than I thought! Way more!
I knew that there was enough release of carbon dioxide (CO2) during fermentation to form what is called a “cap”. In other words, as the CO2 gas makes its way up and out of the liquid, its energy pushes the solids to the top of the vessel forming a cap.
Punch downs and pump overs are two techniques used for cap management. Cap management is needed to keep the solids in contact with the liquid. The solids (skins, seeds, and sometimes stems) are where aromas, flavors, tannins, and color pigments reside. Contact between the liquid and these solids increases the wine’s quality.
With punch downs, a type of plunger is used to push down the cap and submerge it into the liquid again. This could be done on any vessel large or small. In our case, punch downs were performed on barrels, amphorae, and plastic tubs.
Pump overs are typically only performed when the fermentation happens in a larger vessel - a stainless steel tank in our case. The liquids from the bottom of the tank are pumped to the top of the tank with the use of a hose to spray down and moisten the cap.
The caps were extremely dense and buoyant. It took considerable force to push it down with the plunger!
Check out this video of Eric performing a punch down in this open top fermenter barrel:
All from the force of the CO2 gas. That IS crazy!
This one was early in the fermentation, and it was particularly active – notice how there is liquid on the plastic surrounding the barrel. The barrel had overflowed overnight. We had to transfer some of the content to a different container to prevent another spillover.
Never a dull moment at the winery!
Tune in for more wine adventures and the last Gratavinum ah-ha moment next week! In the meantime – conduct some exploration of your own - check out a Moscato d’Asti! Great for celebration!
(and breakfast!)
Using my recommendations? Consider upgrading to a paid subscription.
La Spinetta Bricco Quaglia Moscato d’Asti 2023
Style: Sweet Semi-Sparkling White
Varieties: Moscato Bianco/Muscat à Petits Grains
This fresh & fragrant sweet wine has flavors and aromas of orange & white blossom, lemon zest, orange peel, orange zest, mango, dried mango, grape, nectarine, and peach with a hint of honey.
Best pairings: Fresh fruit (i.e. berries, peaches), Prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe, Panna cotta, Vanilla pound cake, Pastries, French toast, Dessert crêpes, Thai or Vietnamese slightly spicy dishes, Ricotta with honey, Brie or Camembert cheese.
Serving Temperature: 6-8 degrees Celsius
Serving Tips: Enjoy
Price: ~$26 Cdn
I have compiled all my wine recommendations in one place. I will do my best to keep this up to date. I also include the link(s) to the article in which the wine was featured.
Like what you are reading? Click on the ❤ to let me know it resonated with you!
SOURCES:
Harding, J. and Robinson, J. (2023) The oxford companion to wine. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
MacNeil, K. (2022) The wine bible. New York, NY: Workman Publishing.
Wine & Spirit Education Trust (2021) D3: Wines of the World - An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.
I love sweeter wines so this will be me ;) I'll need to concoct a delicious dessert. Love the video, it's so interesting.
With the correct food pairing I can endure the residual sugar of a Moscato d’ Asti for sure.